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:
Friday, July 5, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Taliban and US envoys have discussed the release of 2 American prisoners at third Doha meeting (AP)
AP [7/3/2024 7:44 AM, Rahim Faiez, 31180K, Negative]
The Taliban’s delegation to the third United Nations-led Doha meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan met with U.S. envoys on the sidelines and discussed the two Americans imprisoned in the central Asian country.

Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul Wednesday that the meeting aimed at “finding a solution.”

He said: “During our meetings, we talked about the two American citizens who are in prison in Afghanistan,” adding “but they must accept Afghanistan’s conditions. We also have prisoners in America, prisoners in Guantanamo. We should free our prisoners in exchange for them.”

Special Representative Thomas West and Special Envoy Rina Amiri met directly with the Taliban, according to State Department spokesman Vedant Patel. West pressed for “the immediate and unconditional release of U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Patel said on Tuesday.

When prodded if there was any headway on the matter, Patel said the issue “was just raised.”

One of the two Americans believed to be held by the Taliban for nearly two years is Ryan Corbett who was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family had been living at the time of the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there a year earlier.

He arrived on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan’s private sector through consulting services and lending. Corbett has since been shuttled between multiple prisons, though his lawyers say he has not been seen since last December by anyone other than the people with whom he was detained.

It was the first time that representatives of the Afghan Taliban administration attended the UN-sponsored meeting in the Qatari capital on Sunday and Monday that focused on increasing engagement with Afghanistan. However, a U.N. official said Monday the gathering did not translate into a recognition of the Taliban government.

Envoys from some two dozen countries also attended the meetings.

The Taliban were not invited to the first meeting, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one, in February, including demands that Afghan civil society members be excluded from the talks and that the Taliban be treated as the country’s legitimate rulers.

Ahead of Doha, representatives of Afghan women were excluded from attending, paving the way for the Taliban to send their envoys — though the organizers insisted that demands for women’s rights would be raised.

Mujahid said there was an opportunity for them to meet with representatives of various countries and they had 24 sideline meetings.

He added that the messages from the Taliban “reached all participating” countries at the meeting. Afghanistan needs cooperation with the private sector and in the fight against drugs, he also said. “Most countries expressed their willingness to cooperate in these areas.”

No country officially recognizes the Taliban and the U.N. has said that recognition remains practically impossible while bans on female education and employment remain in place.
Taliban Discussed Prisoner ‘Exchange’ With US: Afghan Govt (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [7/3/2024 6:17 AM, Staff, 85570K, Negative]
Two American prisoners were being held in custody in Afghanistan, a Taliban government spokesman said Wednesday, and an "exchange" for Afghans held in Guantanamo Bay had been discussed with the United States.

"We should be able to free our citizens in (an) exchange, as American citizens are important for them (the United States), just as Afghans are important for us," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a press conference in Kabul.

He said discussions over a prisoner exchange were held with US representatives during United Nations-led talks in Qatar.

The talks, which gathered UN officials, Taliban authorities and the special envoys to Afghanistan, ended on Monday.

"Two American citizens are imprisoned in Afghanistan," Mujahid told the press conference, adding that Afghan prisoners were also held in the United States, including in the secretive US prison in Cuba.

"We have had discussions on their release with them (the United States) before. Afghanistan’s conditions should be accepted," he said.
Taliban and US discuss prisoner swap deal in Doha (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [7/3/2024 11:09 AM, Staff, 15592K, Negative]
A Taliban delegation discussed the topic of a possible prisoner exchange with the US envoys in Doha on Wednesday.

The delegates spoke about exchanging two Americans who are being held captives in Afghanistan for Afghan captives being held at the secretive Guantanamo Bay prison by the US Government.

This talk occurred on the sidelines of the third UN-led Doha meeting on Monday, during which UN officials, Taliban authorities and the special envoys to Afghanistan met in Qatar.

‘Afghanistan’s conditions must be accepted’

The meeting aimed at "finding a solution," Taliban’s Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul on Wednesday.

"During our meetings, we talked about the two American citizens who are in prison in Afghanistan," Mujahid said.

"But they must accept Afghanistan’s conditions. We also have prisoners in America, prisoners in Guantanamo. We should free our prisoners in exchange for them," Mujahid added.

Dozens of foreigners have been detained by the Taliban authorities since the group’s return to power in August 2021.

US Special Representative Thomas West has been pressing for "the immediate and unconditional release of US citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan," US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Tuesday.

US aid workers held hostage by Taliban

The Taliban did not say which prisoners it would release, but one is expected to be Ryan Corbett, a humanitarian worker who has been imprisoned without charge by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers since August 2022.

A "disturbing" phone call from Corbett in March has his family concerned about his declining mental and physical health, US broadcaster CBS reported.

In June, the UN warned that Corbett’s "life could be at risk". They are urging Taliban authorities to give him "immediate access to medical treatment for his deteriorating health".

Another candidate for the exchange is an American woman, who was among at least 18 staff of an NGO called the International Assistance Mission (IAM). She and some other NGO workers were detained on accusations of carrying out Christian missionary work.
Taliban Says Restrictions On Women Stand, Praises UN ‘Spirit Of Cooperation’ (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/3/2024 12:32 PM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at a July 3 press conference in Kabul that the Taliban will not remove restrictions on women and women’s education in Afghanistan. The announcement comes at the end of UN-sponsored talks in Doha, the first that Taliban representatives have attended since the annual discussions began in 2021. The talks held this time were condemned by human rights organizations for the UN’s decision to exclude women and civil society representatives to encourage the Taliban’s participation. While the UN does not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government, Mujahid praised the “spirit of cooperation” and “atmosphere of trust” at the conference.
Taliban regime is our trusted ally against terrorists, says Putin (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [7/4/2024 9:30 PM, James Kilner, 143113K, Neutral]
Vladimir Putin has described Afghanistan’s Taliban as Russia’s trusted ally in its fight against terrorism.

The Russian president told journalists after meeting regional leaders in Kazakhstan that the ruling regime in Kabul could help the Kremlin fight ISIS-K amid a rise in terrorist attacks in Russia.

“The Taliban movement controls power in the country and in this sense, the Taliban are certainly allies for us in the fight against terrorism,” he said.

ISIS-K, the branch of Islamic State active mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed responsibility for an attack on a concert in Moscow in March that killed 144 people, and an attack in Dagestan, southern Russia, last month that killed 20 people.

Putin’s statement is at odds with official Kremlin policy which still labels the Taliban as a terrorist regime.

But Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Centre think tank, said that for the Russian leader this was a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

“Since the Taliban is fighting ISIS-K it is seen as a partner,” he said.

Moscow has been quietly improving links with the Taliban for years, even supplying weapons secretly through back channels as it fought Nato forces.

This alliance has grown since the Taliban grabbed power in Afghanistan from the pro-West government after the US’s chaotic withdrawal in 2021.

Russian officials have said this year that they want to remove the Kremlin’s terrorist label from the Taliban and have invited Taliban delegations to Russia.

On Thursday in Astana, Putin explained that he wanted to normalise ties because the Taliban wanted to turn Afghanistan into a normal functioning state.

“Everything is stable, calm and goes according to certain rules,” Putin said of the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan.

But Afghan human rights activists disagree, saying sexual violence is rising in the country. This week they leaked mobile phone footage of the gang rape in an Afghan jail of a woman anti-Taliban activist.

Since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Afghanistan has become more important strategically for the Kremlin as it sits on a possible trade route south to important markets in Pakistan, India and Iran.

Intigam Mamedov, a postdoctoral research fellow at Northumbria University and an expert on Afghan-Russian relations, said that Putin was an opportunist who wanted to take advantage of strained ties between the West and Muslim countries.

“The potential rapprochement with the Taliban is a sign to the Islamic world in particular, that, unlike the US, Russia is an ally that will not interfere in another country’s internal affairs or dictate its values,” he said.

The Kremlin has invested heavily in building a support base in Islamic countries since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, even hosting Hamas delegations after Israel’s military strikes into Gaza.

For the Taliban, Russian recognition of its regime as the rightful ruler of Afghanistan would bring important international kudos and also much-needed revenue flows.

“Economically, and politically, the Taliban needs to cooperate with Moscow, but this doesn’t mean the Taliban trust Russian officials and their official line,” said Mr Mamedov.
As Taliban limits options for Afghan women, many lead secret lives online (Washington Post)
Washington Post [7/5/2024 2:00 AM, Rick Noack, 6.9M, Neutral]
Three years into Taliban rule, Afghan women and girls are finding ways online to take back some of what was taken from them in 2021.

Banned from secondary and higher education, they attend online classes, learn foreign languages with the help of AI chatbots and e-books, and trade cryptocurrencies in the hope of becoming financially independent. They have tried to make up for the closing of movie theaters, the shuttering of gyms for women and the banning of music by turning to YouTube’s copious offerings of comedy shows, fitness classes and music videos.

But more than a dozen women and girls interviewed in Kabul said they worry that these havens might be short-lived. Many say they have to hide their Instagram and Facebook profiles from their families or that they self-censor their posts for fear of being discovered by the Taliban government.

Some spend so much time online that their friends worry about addiction. Others face torturously slow internet speeds, or — in rural areas — cannot get online at all.

“The internet is our last hope,” said Beheshta, 24. “But nothing can replace real freedom.” Like other women interviewed, she spoke on the condition that only her first name be used out of concern that her comments could draw the ire of government officials.

The Taliban would be hard-pressed to ban social media platforms outright, and adopting Chinese-style controls over the internet would be expensive. Though the regime has banned TikTok for “un-Islamic content,” the Taliban is itself a heavy user of platforms such as YouTube and X, and government officials communicate via WhatsApp.

“Of course we want filters that reflect our Islamic values, but it’s expensive — and right now money is tight,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief government spokesman, said in an interview in the southern city of Kandahar. He added that the regime wants to stop users from “wasting their time.”

Hedayatullah Hedayat, a deputy information minister, said, “One day, we will have our own platforms.”

Finding a safe space

When the Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021, Efat, then 18, had just graduated from high school and been accepted into the psychology department at Kabul University. Her family wanted to flee the country but was deterred by the chaos at Kabul’s airport.

In the years since, she said, the internet has been a lifeline for her. Efat starts most of her days with fitness routines, watching workout videos on YouTube. During the day, she browses the internet, chats with former classmates and sells her paintings — she has made $200 so far — on an Instagram page she manages with her sister.

With women banned from public parks, Efat primarily finds inspiration for her paintings online. Her latest work shows a tiger. “Women can be just as powerful as them,” she said.

When the sun sets, Efat scrolls through her Instagram feed, where other artists post paintings of crying girls and of the huge Buddha statues in Bamian province that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. And she spends time on TikTok, eluding the ban by using VPNs, which encrypt online traffic and reroute it around the government’s internet filters.

“Without the internet, we’d all be shells of ourselves,” she said. “Half of my life now happens online.”

Many girls use the internet late in the evening and at night, when their friends are also online. When there is nobody to chat with, some turn to artificial intelligence.

Standing in a dimly lighted basement shopping mall where she sells women’s clothing, Sediqa, 23, said her new best friend is “Gipi,” a messaging bot that acts like a friend or language tutor. During long hours spent alone behind her shop counter, Sediqa often turns to the AI bot to chat. “It’s like a friend that’s always there for you,” she said. Another benefit, she said, is that her AI friend never makes fun of her.

“It feels like a safe space,” Sediqa said.

Earning and learning online

Eager to boost their household finances, some women have turned to cryptocurrency apps. Heela, 27, said she became a daily user of a crypto mining app after colleagues at work encouraged her.

Every 24 hours, she presses a button on an application called Pi Network and then lets her phone engage in crypto mining in the background for the rest of the day. (This process adds online transactions to a digital ledger called a blockchain and can create value.) The application is popular in Afghanistan because it works on ordinary mobile phones and is free, apart from the cost of the electricity it consumes.

But Pi Network’s monetary value is unproven because its currency, Pi, is not officially listed on major exchanges, where it could be traded for other cryptocurrencies or sold for U.S. dollars. Heela said she has yet to make money with it.

But for many Afghan girls, it’s just one more bet at a time when almost anything can feel like a gamble. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the practice is widespread, especially in Kabul.

Sadia, 27, earns money by selling dresses online. But she said she increasingly struggles to find models who let themselves be photographed. When she posts photos of models wearing her dresses, the online criticism is often immediate. In an apparent warning that she is being watched, she said, male critics add her WhatsApp account to groups that promote how to become a devout Muslim.

Digital businesses such as art sales and delivery services are largely tolerated by the government. The number of female-run online businesses in the country remains limited. While the United Nations Development Program says that efforts to expand digital payment systems show early signs of promise, their use is still rare.

Most of the women and girls interviewed in Kabul said they had signed up for at least one online education course since the Taliban took power.

Twice a week, Faryal, 22, sits in front of her smartphone and connects to the digital classroom where she teaches two courses, on media rights and criminal law, to dozens of female Afghan students. Such online classes are held on Google Meet and run by Afghan volunteers, often living abroad.

Faryal says the courses are an escape from boredom and resignation. “But there’s something about eye contact that’s difficult to replace,” she said.

The Taliban government has not explicitly banned online educational courses and could struggle to enforce such an order, given that many providers are headquartered abroad. But teachers and students worry that they might still be at risk.

When authorities earlier this year began to detain women for failing to properly cover their hair, rumors spread that police were checking all phones for evidence of participation in online classes. For weeks, Faryal said, she did not step outside with her phone.

Sajia, 23, who takes an English course online, said half of her class recently dropped out over concerns of a crackdown. “I don’t think they’ll return,” said Sajia, who decided to continue participating. “It’s so sad.”

Fears for the future

The government has signaled it plans to step up scrutiny of internet use. Anyone who buys a SIM card for a cellphone can no longer remain anonymous and must provide an identity card and the contact details of five family members.

Anayatullah Alokozay, spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said efforts to gather more data on Afghan internet users are meant to prevent abuse and fraud. But the changes to SIM card purchases have triggered widespread concerns about government surveillance.

In reality, the Taliban’s capabilities on this front still appear to be limited. Alokozay said Silicon Valley technology companies refuse to communicate with Afghan government officials. He said his ministry has repeatedly urged U.S. social media platforms to cooperate with Taliban government requests to take down content, such as those that impersonate other accounts, but without success. Even worse, Taliban officials say, the government’s own social media accounts keep being de-platformed.

Aria, 20, said she worries about the day the Taliban cracks down on online activity. “If the Taliban restricts the internet, we won’t have a choice but to flee for good.”
Afghanistan has been through everything. Now it wants to dust off its postal service and modernize (AP)
AP [7/5/2024 12:32 AM, Riazat Butt, 456K, Neutral]
In parts of Afghanistan where there are no street names or house numbers, utility companies and their customers have adopted a creative approach for connecting. They use mosques as drop points for bills and cash, a “pay and pray” system.

Now the national postal service wants to phase this out by putting mailboxes on every street across the country, part of a plan to modernize a service long challenged by bureaucracy and war.

The lofty aspirations include introducing access to shopping via e-commerce sites and issuing debit cards for online purchases. It will be a leap in a country where most of the population is unbanked, air cargo is in its infancy and international courier companies don’t deliver even to the capital, Kabul.

The changes mean Afghans will pay higher service fees, a challenge as more than half the population already relies on humanitarian aid to survive.

The Afghan Post, like much of the country, still does everything on paper. “Nobody uses email,” said its business development director, Zabihullah Omar. “Afghanistan is a member of the Universal Postal Union, but when we compare ourselves to other countries it is at a low level and in the early stages.”

The postal service has 400 to 500 branches across the country and is key for completing administrative tasks like obtaining a passport or driver’s licence. It distributes up to 15,000 passports daily.

Another popular service is the certification of documents for admission to higher education or overseas institutions. The main Kabul branch has dedicated counters for it along with VIP lanes and a women-only area.

Post offices in Afghanistan are vital for women wanting to access services or products they would otherwise be denied, since they are often barred from entering ministries or other official premises.

But the spectre of the Taliban’s edicts targeting women and girls also looms at the Afghan Post.

At the entrance to the main Kabul branch, a sign tells women to correctly wear hijab, or the Islamic headscarf. One picture shows a woman with a red cross over her visible face. The other has a green check mark over the face because only her eyes are seen.

One woman visiting the branch was a 29-year-old medical graduate from western Farah province, who gave her name as Arzo. The Education Ministry wouldn’t let her in and dispatched her to the post office instead to get paperwork done.

She wanted to get her documents certified, a practical measure amid the country’s precarious economic situation and the sweeping restrictions on women and girls.

“Anything can happen at any time,” she said. “There are no jobs. There are many problems.”

It was her first time using a post office. She paid 640 afghanis, or $9, for each document and called the fees too high.

A more satisfied customer was 22-year-old Alam Noori from eastern Paktika province who came to collect his passport. “Piece of cake,” he said in English. In the past, he also used a post office to collect his driver’s license.

“I came to know about the post office through social media,” he said. “People in the city use it a lot because they are aware of it, but those in villages and districts aren’t.”

The Afghan Post’s business development director, Omar, wants services to be easier for people but conceded that it will take time.

“In most government agencies, people are wandering from public service to public service, so I want to serve people here, and that makes me very happy,” he said. “There is a need for a post office wherever there is a population.”

That’s where the plan to have a mailbox on every street comes in. They will be for paying bills, sending mail and submitting documents for processing.

But handwritten letters are disappearing, as they are in many parts of the world.

Hamid Khan Hussain Khel is one of the country’s 400 postmen, zipping around the capital on a motorcycle bearing Afghan Post’s jaunty blue and yellow. But he has yet to deliver a personal letter, despite serving the city’s population of five million for two years. He cited the popularity of smartphones and messaging apps.

He enjoys the work, which is less dangerous than it was during the decades-long conflict.

“When we meet people, their satisfaction makes us happy,” he said. “I haven’t seen a person not smile when they get their documents.”
Pakistan
Bomb attack in NW Pakistan kills former senator, 4 others (VOA)
VOA [7/3/2024 2:53 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
Police in Pakistan said Wednesday that a roadside bomb blast near the border with Afghanistan tore through a vehicle, killing a former senator and his four companions.

Initial police investigations concluded that suspected militants used a remote-controlled device to detonate an improvised explosive device in the troubled Bajaur district, noting that it was aimed specifically at the slain former member of the upper house of parliament, Hidayatullah Khan.

No group immediately took responsibility for the deadly bombing.

Militants affiliated with outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and a regional Islamic State affiliate, known as IS-Khorasan, routinely target security forces and pro-government tribal elders and politicians in Bajaur and surrounding districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The TTP denied involvement in Wednesday’s attack but reiterated that its violent campaign is targeting only Pakistani security forces and those working for them.

Anti-terror drill with US

The bombing in Bajaur occurred while military personnel from Pakistan and the United States were participating in a two-week-long joint counterterrorism exercise in another part of the turbulent province, located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Islamabad.

The bilateral drill began on June 29 at the National Counter Terrorism Center in the town of Pabbi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with infantry companies from both countries participating.

It is designed to “exchange tactical skills at combating the menace of terrorism at sub-unit level,” a Pakistani military media wing announcement said Wednesday.

“The exercise is aimed at sharing counter-terrorism experiences besides refining drill procedures vital for counter-terrorism operations,” the statement said.

Terrorist attacks have sharply surged in Pakistan, killing hundreds of civilians and security forces in recent months.

Pakistani military and police have stepped up counter-militancy operations in violence-hit parts of the country, killing scores of TTP and insurgents linked to other groups.

Islamabad accuses the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan of providing sanctuaries to TTP and even facilitating their cross-border attacks.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated Wednesday that they are not allowing anyone to use Afghan soil to threaten Pakistan or any other countries.

Mujahid said, while addressing a news conference in Kabul, that Pakistani authorities should stop pointing fingers at Afghanistan for what he described as their internal security problems.
A roadside bomb planted on a bridge hits a rickshaw in Pakistan, killing 2 people and wounding 8 (AP)
AP [7/5/2024 4:39 AM, Staff, 456K, Neutral]
A roadside bomb planted on a bridge struck a rickshaw in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least two people and wounding eight others, officials said.

The attack happened in Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police official Sabir Khan said. He said police transported the wounded people to a hospital where two were in critical condition.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other government officials denounced the bombing.

No one claimed responsibility, but such attacks previously have been blamed on Islamic militants including the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries and are even living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the TTP.

Pakistan has blamed some attacks on the Islamic State group and some breakaway factions of the TTP, which insists it only targets security forces.
Fearful For Their Livelihoods, Pakistanis Oppose Latest Military Operation (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/4/2024 3:44 AM, Abubakar Siddique and Umar Daraz Wazir, 1530K, Negative]
Sanaullah, a businessman in northwestern Pakistan, opposes a new military operation Islamabad says is vital to turn the rising tide of terrorism in the country.

Sanaullah, who goes by only one name, heads a local traders organization in the town of Miran Shah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan, a mountainous district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.

For Sanaullah, an earlier military offensive was a personal tragedy. In June 2014, when the Pakistani military launched Operation Zarb-e Azab to target thousands of militants it said were hiding in North Waziristan, he lost his food store and home.

"It was not an operation against terrorists," Sanaullah said, "but a scheme to rob us of our businesses, houses, and belongings."

Sanaullah still remembers returning to Miran Shah in August 2014, two months after the military forced him and hundreds of thousands of North Waziristan’s residents to move to the neighboring district of Bannu.

"My shop and the market it was situated in were razed to the ground," he said. "My house, too, was destroyed."

While the military says fighting caused the damage, locals still don’t know if their markets and houses were destroyed in ground battles or air strikes, or were simply demolished after being ransacked.

Minimal Compensation

Now, 10 years later, Sanaullah has built his business back up again, but it hasn’t been easy. The government has offered him only the equivalent of $5,000 in compensation for losses that he said exceeded $100,000.

"We are not supporters of terrorists, but we are afraid that the planned operation will only rob us again," he said.

Sanaullah is not alone. Most political parties, businesspeople, tribal leaders, and activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are against Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, after the federal government approved it on June 22.

Since 2003, more than 80,000 civilians, soldiers, and militants have been killed in terrorist attacks and military counterterrorism operations across Pakistan. Ethnic Pashtun residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa make up the largest number of those killed and injured. Military operations have also displaced more than 6 million Pashtuns and thousands have disappeared.

The provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, headed by the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) political party, is also against the new military operation and has worked to unite political and tribal leaders in their opposition.

Most of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations between 2003 and 2014 were linked to the U.S.-led global war on terrorism. It pitted Washington and the Pakistani military against Al-Qaeda and various Pakistani militant groups. Islamabad broadly spared the Afghan Taliban.

Instead of supporting U.S. anti-terror goals, Pakistani politicians have said the latest operation is part of Islamabad’s efforts to protect multibillion-dollar Chinese investments. When Pakistani leaders visited China in June, Beijing reiterated its demand that Islamabad improve security for Chinese projects.

In 2014, Beijing unveiled an ambitious project to link its western Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

But since 2018, security concerns, political unrest, and the faltering economy have stalled the more than $62 billion investment initiative, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

China is now demanding foolproof security for tens of thousands of its workers before reviving CPEC or committing to new investments in cash-strapped Pakistan.

Since 2004, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a radical Islamist group designated as a terrorist organization by Washington; Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State extremist group; and secular ethnic Baluch separatists have targeted Chinese workers, killing dozens. In May, a suicide bombing attack killed five Chinese workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Alamzaib Khan Mehsud, a political activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, said residents of the province believe Islamabad’s counterterrorism operations were fundamentally geared toward profiteering rather than fighting terrorism.

Mehsud and other critics allege Islamabad’s counterterrorism approach was focused on ensuring the country continued to receive aid dollars in return for token counterterrorism operations, which failed to eliminate major militant organizations. Pakistan received more than $20 billion in military assistance and civilian aid from Washington between 2001 and 2021.

"Times have changed, but the government’s approach to counterterrorism remains the same," he said. "People are afraid that the new offensive will not achieve anything against the militants but only harm civilians."

Since 2018, the 33-year-old activist has repeatedly been arrested for protesting unlawful killings and forced disappearances amid Pakistani counterterrorism campaigns.

Mounting Criticism

Earlier this year, Alamzaib Khan Mehsud accompanied a delegation of tribal leaders from his Mehsud tribe, who traveled to the capital, Islamabad, to ask for compensation for military operation-related losses. In 2009, a large military offensive displaced an estimated 500,000 Mehsud tribespeople from South Waziristan for over six years.

"We were listened to, and senior officials promised to help, but concrete assistance has been scarce," he said.

Mounting criticism forced Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office to declare that the new operation will not require massive population displacements, because it will consist of small, targeted raids.

"Based on intelligence, [Operation] Azm-e Istehkam will further mobilize armed operations to eradicate violent extremism in the country decisively," said a June 22 statement from the prime minister’s office.

On July 1, the Pakistani military said it killed nine "terrorists" in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was "determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country."

In Islamabad, Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, the director of news at the Khorasan Diary, a website tracking militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said opposition to the new offensive is "unprecedented."

Mehsud, who is not related to Alamzaib Khan Mehsud, said many residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been traumatized by the previous military operations.

"There is a tremendous trust deficit between the people and the government over counterterrorism operations," he said. "Civilians incurred extensive damages, but the militants always survived and returned."

In Miran Shah, businessman Sanaullah said residents of North Waziristan will not allow yet another military operation in their homeland.

"They will have to kill us before imposing another operation on us," he said.
India
China, India Agree on More Talks to Resolve Border Disputes (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/4/2024 7:35 AM, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, 27296K, Neutral]
China and India agreed to hold further diplomatic talks to resolve a long-standing border dispute, which has stalled relations between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors.

S. Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday. The two agreed to an “early meeting of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Yi told his counterpart that China and India should properly handle and control the border situation and “actively” resume normal exchanges with each other, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a separate statement. Both sides agree to begin a new round of consultations on the border issue as early as possible, it said.

Disputes over the 3,488 kilometer (2,167 miles) unmarked border erupted in clashes in 2020 that left at least 20 Indian and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers dead. Both countries have deployed thousands of soldiers, and moved tanks, missiles and fighter jets close to the border as tensions escalated.

The two sides have held 21 rounds of military-diplomatic talks to try to resolve the border conflict but progress has been incremental. China has shown some willingness to work on the matter, with the embassy in India saying last month that border disputes “should be handled properly” and a stable relationship with India was in the interest of both nations.

The two foreign ministers echoed those comments Thursday, agreeing that the “prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement. Jaishankar urged parties “to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement” of troops from the friction points along the border, it said.
India, China foreign ministers agree to step up talks on border issues (Reuters)
Reuters [7/4/2024 6:22 AM, Tanvi Mehta, 42991K, Positive]
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday in Kazakhstan where the two agreed to step up talks to resolve issues along their border, New Delhi said in a statement.

India and China share a long Himalayan border, much of it poorly demarcated, and relations between the two countries have been sour since a military standoff in July 2020 when at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed.

India said Jaishankar met Wang on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana where they agreed that "prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side."

The two agreed to enhance meetings between their diplomatic and military officials "to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.

China and India should properly handle their differences and ensure relations advance on a stable track, a Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Wang as saying during the talks.

"We must maintain a positive mindset, properly handle and control the situation in the border areas on the one hand, and actively resume normal exchanges on the other hand," Wang said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began his third straight term last month, said in April that the two countries should urgently address the "prolonged situation" on their border.

Both countries have fortified positions and deployed extra troops and equipment along the border since 2020. The nuclear-armed nations have been uneasy neighbours for decades after a bloody border war in 1962.

"He (Jaishankar) reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two governments in the past," New Delhi’s statement said.

The two countries have previously agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels.
India’s Modi will meet with Putin on 2-day visit to Russia starting Monday, Kremlin says (AP)
AP [7/4/2024 8:51 PM, Vladimir Isachenkov and Ashok Sharma, 31180K, Neutral]
The Kremlin on Thursday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia next Monday and Tuesday and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies that shut most Western markets for Russian exports.

Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement.

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught, however, since Russia started developing closer ties with India’s main rival, China, because of the hostilities in Ukraine.

Modi on Thursday skipped the summit of a security grouping created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances.

Modi sent his foreign minister to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at its annual meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana. The meeting is being attended by Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Indian media reports speculated that the recently reelected Modi was busy with the Parliament session last week.

Modi last visited Russia in 2019 for an economic forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok. He last traveled to Moscow in 2015. Putin last met with Modi in September 2022 at a summit of the SCO in Uzbekistan. In 2021, Putin also traveled to New Delhi and held talks with the Indian leader.

Tensions between Beijing and New Delhi have continued since a confrontation in June 2020 along the disputed China-India border in which rival troops fought with rocks, clubs and fists. At least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

After his reelection to a third straight term. Modi attended the G7 meeting in Italy’s Apulia region last month and addressed artificial intelligence, energy, and regional issues in Africa and the Mediterranean.

In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union was the source of about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms.

India bought its first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, from Russia in 2004. It had served in the former Soviet Union and later in the Russian navy.

With the Russian supply line hit by the fighting in Ukraine, India has been reducing its dependency on Russian arms and diversifying its defense procurements, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France and Italy.
A Family Loses 3 Generations of Women in India Crowd’s Panic (New York Times)
New York Times [7/3/2024 4:14 PM, Suhasini Raj, 831K, Neutral]
Vinod Kumar was away from home on Tuesday, as he usually is for days at a time in search of masonry work, when he got the dreadful call.

All the women in his family, three generations of them, were dead, crushed in a stampede.

For the rest of the day, Mr. Kumar and his three sons went from hospital to hospital searching for their loved ones among the bodies of the 121 people who had died when a large gathering of a spiritual guru broke into deadly panic.

Close to midnight, they found the bodies of his wife, Raj Kumari, 42, and daughter, Bhumi, 9, at the government hospital in Hathras, laid out on large slabs of ice among the dozens others in the corridor.

“Why did you leave me just like that? Who will scold the children now and push them to go to school?” Mr. Kumar wailed at the feet of his wife.

But he couldn’t afford to be entirely lost in grief yet. The body of his mother was yet to be found. He bent over to pick up his daughter for one last embrace. Bhumi wore a yellow top, and her hair was tied in a ponytail with a pink band.

“Let her sleep,” Nitin, Mr. Kumar’s oldest son, told him, pulling the girl away from his father to lay her back on the slab so they could continue the search.

“I don’t know when I will find my mother’s body,” he said, moving on with the search. “I want to do their last rites together.”
(N
Mr. Kumar’s mother, Jaimanti, was the family’s matriarch. And she was its main devotee to the guru, keeping his posters at home and frequenting his sermons.

Suraj Pal, a former policeman who refashioned himself as a spiritual guru known as Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba, catered to women like her, families like hers: on the margins of India’s deep economic inequality, and at the bottom its rigid caste hierarchy.

Women from the Dalit caste, who make up a large part of the Baba’s congregation, have long faced discrimination as “untouchables” and have historically been denied access to temples.

When Mr. Kumar’s mother, Jaimanti Devi, heard that the guru was holding a large gathering so close, there was no way she would miss it. She persuaded her reluctant daughter-in-law to come along.

As for Bhumi?

“You know how children are,” Mr. Kumar said. “Our daughter had said she won’t stay back without her mother.”

As dawn broke on Wednesday, Mr. Kumar had shifted the bodies of his wife and daughter home. Zipped in dark body bags, they were placed on slabs of ice in the narrow alley outside their brick house. His mother’s body was found in a morgue in the city of Agra, about two hours away. When the ambulance finally brought her home, neighbors and relatives helped lower the body and place it next to the other two.

Mr. Kumar, held by his sons, broke down completely.

The Kumar family has lived here for at least two generations. Mr. Kumar’s father, who died several years ago, was a mason just like him. That they have been barely an afterthought in India’s development plans, left to fend for themselves, was clear.

Around them, the village overflowed with sewage water from the narrow drains. A larger drain, carrying the sewage of a neighboring town, brimmed, large piles of trash rotting by its banks. Dengue and typhoid fever are all-too-common ailments here.

But Mr. Kumar was trying to give his children a better future. With the $200 a month he made as a day-laborer and mason, he ensured they attended school. Bhumi was particularly fond of her studies, he said. She wanted to become a police officer.

“We have always been poor. That is our life’s story,” he said. “Now it’s over with the death of my dear daughter, wife and mother — in one single blow.”

First, it was his daughter’s turn for the final rites. In the local tradition, children are buried while adults are cremated.

A stretcher made of bamboo was laid out for Bhumi. The body is supposed to be wrapped in new clothes before the final rites. For her, Mr. Kumar had bought an unstitched piece of blue, floral cloth to cover her torso, and a dark blue cloth for her legs.

Men lifted the bamboo frame from all four sides and walked a couple of miles to a spot in the cotton fields, next to a small pond along the highway. Some of the men had already dug a grave. Mr. Kumar slowly lowered Bhumi’s body into the trench and let out a long wail.

Villagers helped to cover her body, scooping mud onto the grave.

Just in that moment, on the highway meters away, the motorcade for the state’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, raced past, taking him to the site of the stampede. Villagers were stopped from crossing the road while it did.

Mr. Kumar moved on to the bodies of his mother and wife, shifting them on bamboo to the pyres at the other end of the village. They were wrapped in bright colored saris, pink, red and green.

Thick pieces of cow dung were used to set the fire and then it was topped with thick logs of wood. The sky was overcast. Politicians trickled in, one with personal bodyguards who wielded rifles and wore all-black attire. The official stood and watched the bodies go up in flames, and then moved on to the next destination.

Among the villagers huddled around the pyre, some cursed the administration for laxity; others cursed the guru who had gone underground since the stampede, seemingly caring little for the well-being of the devotees or the families they left behind.

One of Mr. Kumar’s sons sobbed in a corner. He pulled the boy close and they both broke down in an embrace as thick clouds of smoke rose from the pyres.

They were left with just each other now, a family of devastated men.

“Don’t cry my son,” Mr. Kumar consoled, as they walked back into the village.
Six arrested in connection with stampede in north India, police say (Reuters)
Reuters [7/4/2024 8:42 AM, Sakshi Dayal, 42991K, Negative]
Indian police said on Thursday they had arrested six people over a stampede at a Hindu religious event in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh this week in which 121 people were killed.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in the village of Phulrai Mughal Garhi in Hathras district where about 250,000 people had gathered to listen to preacher Suraj Pal Singh, also known as "Bhole Baba".

Organisers of the event had obtained permission for a gathering of only 80,000 people, an initial police report said.

Baba blamed the stampede on "anti-social elements", but did not elaborate.

The four men and two women arrested were aides to Baba who were involved in organising the event but fled when the stampede broke out, police said.

Asked about Baba’s role, a senior police officer said the preacher was not named in the case they had registered.

"If there is a need, we will question (him) ... It is too early to say whether he had a role," Uttar Pradesh police Inspector-General Shalabh Mathur said.

A.P. Singh, Baba’s lawyer, said he would also represent the six people who were arrested.

"Police are doing their job but the people they have arrested are people whose family members are victims of the stampede," Singh said. "Those who actually caused the stampede have run away."

The stampede broke out on Tuesday afternoon when attendees were exiting the canopied ground by a highway where the event was held, police said.

Several people ran towards the preacher’s vehicle but were stopped by his aides, leading to commotion during which some of them fell to the ground and were trampled, officials said.

Others who tried to run to open fields to escape slipped on the uneven ground and fell in the path of the rest of the crowd.

Singh said Baba never asked anyone to touch his feet or gave anyone the dust touched by his feet, countering media reports that cited these as reasons for people running towards his vehicle.

The bodies of the dead, which included 112 women and seven children, were handed over to their families, officials said.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, plans to visit Hathras soon "and speak to the people who are affected", Congress officials said.

Stampedes are not uncommon at religious events in India that involve large crowds and are often poorly managed.
India’s Cable News Predicted a Big Modi Win. How Did They Get It So Wrong? (New York Times)
New York Times [7/4/2024 4:14 PM, Sameer Yasir, 831K, Neutral]
Through the months of India’s sprawling national election season, the country’s hundreds of cable news outlets all seemed to be trying to outdo each other: They predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would win, and win big.

The actual election results on June 4, however, saw his fortunes plummet so low that he secured another term only with the help of coalition partners.

It was a shocking result to many, and now India finds itself wondering why so few foresaw the popularity of an opposition movement. Some outlets had predicted that Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., would win as many as 400 of the 543 available seats in Parliament, but in the end, it won only 240.

Many see the disparity as a sign of how thoroughly the prime minister had cowed the mainstream media, and how his control of the information system had grown so complete that the hype obscured voters’ true sentiments.

During Mr. Modi’s decade in office, a mix of pressures and incentives turned mainstream news channels into cheerleaders of his every move. They presented the powerful prime minister as an unstoppable leader, too overwhelming for any opponent to challenge. Debating him on policy, or even on his delivery of his promises, was out of the question.

Many reporters at established news outlets embraced what Mr. Modi had normalized: taking pride in his Hindu-first vision of India. Those who investigated the unsavory side of his tenure, including independent bodies that sharply critiqued his policies, were ostracized, raided or otherwise forced to surrender.

When exit polls emerged on election night, one channel even declared that Mr. Modi’s alliance was winning 30 Parliament seats in a state that had only 25. Another anchor seemed to ridicule his own network’s reporters for suggesting there had been discontent over economic stress.

That the vast majority of outlets were far off the mark in their projections suggested one of two things, analysts said: Indian citizens were too afraid to speak their minds, or too suspicious of the broadcast media to trust them with their real opinions.

“Media was actually campaigning for the ruling party,” said Yogendra Yadav, a political activist and a veteran election analyst, adding, “They are a blot on our democracy.”

Mr. Modi and the mainstream media underestimated just how much of the information space had moved outside the bubble they had created, analysts said. As the mainstream outlets have lost credibility, a parallel system of online news reporters with a more independent outlook has grown.

In fact, much of the election was playing out on the internet. Opposition figures found online spaces to be vital outlets for airing criticism of Mr. Modi, who they say has made India less democratic and more unequal.

“The centrist journalism is missing, and it is a loss for this country,” said Saurabh Shukla, a co-founder of The Red Mike, a YouTube channel.

Mr. Shukla, an award-winning reporter who left his job at a news station to start his YouTube channel with another journalist, said there was a clear contrast between what was being shown on TV news and what he and many other journalists saw on the ground.

In a sign that even Mr. Modi was becoming aware of the disparity, he sent his ministers to engage with YouTube channels to discuss the accomplishments of his party. At times, he even trolled the mainstream media that was singing his praises.

“If you are in the media, and if you are waving a Modi flag in devotion — who will keep you?” the prime minister said to four interviewers from a New Delhi-based media organization.

With a population of 1.4 billion, India has more than over 350 news broadcasters across 880 satellite TV channels. It also has the most YouTube users in the world.

Since gaining independence in 1947, India had built a reputation for having a vast and independent-leaning media culture, interrupted only by the months of emergency and censorship imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the mid-1970s.

That independent streak has been changing over the years of Mr. Modi’s leadership, though, as leaders in his Hindu-nationalist bloc have found a host of ways to apply pressure to keep media groups in line.

Reporters and editors critical of the government started leaving traditional news outlets, moving online one after the other. Unlike television news channels that spent hours on Mr. Modi during the campaigning period, this band of independent reporters talked about people, their stories and their problems.

Among them is Ravish Kumar. After leaving his prime-time news anchor job, Mr. Kumar started broadcasting on YouTube. For months he has focused on issues like rising rural unemployment and loopholes in competitive exams that have pushed hundreds of thousands of students to join protest marches.

While Mr. Kumar, whom more than a million people watch almost every day, questioned Mr. Modi about using religious polarization to win votes instead of talking about his developmental track record, his peers on TV news were using prime time to attack Mr. Modi’s opponents.

Network news anchors used their interview time with Mr. Modi largely to lob softball questions unrelated to national issues, such as “Is this election a formality?” or “Why don’t you get tired?”

Another independent journalist, Ajit Anjum, reported on voters’ anger toward a federal minister after spending days in the minister’s constituency in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Many news channels predicted she would win in a landslide, but she was trounced by her low-key rival, a longtime campaign manager for leaders of the opposition. It was another accurate projection from an independent YouTube news channel.

“YouTube has given a tough time to B.J.P. and its media supporters,” said Mr. Shukla, the journalist. As more election results emerged, a growing number of viewers seemed to turn to online news viewership for follow-up coverage.

Several independent media organizations came together for their own election-night coverage, and many Indians followed them online for more sober analysis than they were getting from shouting matches on TV news.

It’s unclear whether the sudden rush to independent journalism will stick.

“I don’t know if this will continue,” said Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist. He added that while more people are watching his content, a new law has made it easier for the government to censor online stories.

Challenges from the government notwithstanding, online news providers earned a leg up in trustworthiness during this election cycle. Their accuracy in forecasting the results stood in stark contrast to how cable news networks’ predictions fared.

Mr. Yadav, the political activist, said after traveling around India’s Hindi-speaking north, home to the traditional base of Mr. Modi’s party, that he expected the B.J.P. to win no more than 260 seats. Few believed his estimate, especially among television news commentators. But he was right.
Bailed Indian Opposition Leader To Return As Chief Minister (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [7/3/2024 11:28 AM, Staff, 85570K, Negative]
A top Indian opposition leader is set to return as chief minister of Jharkhand state, days after he was released from prison on bail, a key party official said Wednesday.

Hemant Soren, 48, who was arrested and jailed in February on corruption charges, was granted bail on June 28 in the eastern state.

Before being taken into custody, Hemant had stepped down from his position, handing over the reins to party colleague Champai Soren. The two men are not related.

On Wednesday evening, Champai, 61, in a widely expected move, tendered his resignation to the state’s governor.

"We had a change in leadership at that time, so I got the responsibility," Champai told reporters.

"Now that he is back, our alliance has chosen him as our leader, and I have resigned from my post."

Hemant heads a party that is part of the opposition alliance that fought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the weeks-long election that concluded last month.

He was arrested by the financial investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate, in an alleged land scam probe.

He denies the charges, and his allies claim the arrest was politically motivated in a bid to weaken the opposition for the election.

Jharkhand state has a population of around 32 million people, according to India’s 2011 census.

A month after Hemant was detained, another key opposition figure, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested by the same law enforcement agency.

He was released from detention to campaign partway through the election, but returned to jail after voting ended and remains behind bars.
Modi’s BJP Has a Diversity Problem (Wall Street Journal – opinion)
Wall Street Journal [7/3/2024 5:27 PM, Sadanand Dhume, 810K, Neutral]
Can Hindu nationalism find a way to accommodate India’s religious diversity? It’s an urgent question as Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi embarks on his third term as prime minister. If Mr. Modi can garner more support from the roughly 1 in 5 Indians who aren’t Hindus, he will strengthen his country and his party. If he fails to do this, his legacy will include a nation deeply divided along religious lines and a party whose sectarian politics severely limits its national appeal.

First, the bad news. Of the 240 BJP members of Parliament elected last month, not one belongs to India’s three largest minority religions: Islam, Christianity or Sikhism. Among Mr. Modi’s new 72-member council of ministers there isn’t a single Muslim—a rebuff to a 200-million strong community that accounts for 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people. Until midway through Mr. Modi’s second term (2019-24) every Indian government since independence in 1947 had included Muslim representation.

Part of the problem is ideological. Mainstream Indian nationalism, personified by Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869-1948) and Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), saw India as a multi-religious country united by a common quest for independence from the British. By contrast, the prominent Hindu nationalist ideologue Vinayak Savarkar (1883-1966) saw India essentially as a Hindu nation in which Muslim and Christian loyalties were suspect. In Savarkar’s view, groups whose “holy lands” (meaning Mecca, Rome or Jerusalem) were outside the Indian subcontinent couldn’t be fully trusted.

For Hindu nationalists, Indian history is defined by a Hindu struggle to throw off the yoke of Islamic rule, which began with the Arab incursions into Sindh (in today’s Pakistan) in 711 and lasted until the consolidation of British rule over the subcontinent in the 19th century. By contrast, mainstream nationalists embraced Muslims as fellow Indians who happened to follow a different faith from most of their compatriots. The Partition of British India along religious lines in 1947, and the subsequent large-scale flight of Hindus from what became Pakistan, only added to the litany of Hindu nationalist grievances.

When pressed on the lack of Muslim representation in the BJP, party supporters often point out that few Muslims vote for the BJP, and that many work to defeat the party. According to a survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, an Indian think tank, only 8% of Muslims voted for the BJP this year. The party fared marginally better among Sikhs (10%) and Christians (14%), CSDS found. The survey estimates that Congress and its allies won the votes of 65% of Muslims. Congress trounced the BJP in Sikh-dominated Punjab, and in the southern state of Kerala, home to a large Christian minority.

The tendency of ethnic and religious minorities to coalesce behind left-of-center parties isn’t unique to India. But mature liberal democracies typically recognize the symbolic value of including all numerically significant groups in government or the legislature. Blacks in America vote overwhelmingly against GOP presidential candidates. Nonetheless, every Republican president going back nearly 50 years has included at least one African-American in his cabinet.

Successful outreach to religious minorities would benefit the BJP. In 1951, India was 85% Hindu. The Pew Research Center estimates that by 2050 only about three-quarters of Indians (77%) will identify with the majority faith. Writing off nearly 25% of voters makes no sense for any political party. The BJP’s loss of its single-party majority last month, and poor performance in the Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh, home to a grand temple to the Hindu deity Ram inaugurated by Mr. Modi in January, suggests that religious nationalism may already be delivering diminishing returns.

How can Mr. Modi change direction? Right-of-center parties in Anglophone democracies—including the Conservatives in the U.K.—offer lessons on expanding a party’s appeal to new demographic groups. A generation ago, Indians in the U.K. voted overwhelmingly for Labour. By 2021, according to a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report, 3 in 10 British Indians supported the Conservatives. Among British Indian Hindus, a plurality preferred the Tories to Labour. A combination of pro-business and pro-family policies, along with an effort to recruit talented conservative minorities like Suella Braverman, Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, contributed to the turnaround.

The BJP also can study lessons closer to home. The last BJP prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998-2004), included Muslims among his ministers and nominated a Muslim, Abdul Kalam, to serve as president, India’s ceremonial head of state. Mr. Modi himself has ensured that his council of ministers includes two Sikhs and a Christian.

As he embarks on his third term, Mr. Modi is likely to have in mind his legacy. He could easily enhance it by making his party more representative of the country it rules.
NSB
Key partner withdraws support from Nepal’s government to join new coalition (AP)
AP [7/4/2024 9:12 PM, Staff, 85570K, Negative]
Nepal’s second largest party withdrew from the government Thursday to join its longtime rival in a new coalition, as pressure builds on the prime minister to resign.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), which is the second largest party, announced it was withdrawing support for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. All their ministers resigned late Wednesday.

Leaders of the party and the Nepali Congress, the country’s largest party, had signed an agreement Tuesday to form a new partnership to govern for the remaining three years before general elections.

Dahal had been leading his shaky governing coalition since becoming prime minister in December 2022 following an inconclusive election where his party finished third. He took to switching coalition partners to keep his majority.

The Maoist leader survived a no confidence vote earlier in March, after a smaller party broke from its coalition. If he does not step down immediately, he would need to seek a confidence motion in a month.

It is Dahal’s third time in power since his Maoist group ended an armed revolt and joined mainstream politics in 2006.

Dahal, also known as Prachanda or the “fierce one,” led a violent Maoist communist insurgency from 1996 to 2006. More than 17,000 people were killed and the status of many others remains unknown.

After entering politics, Dahal’s party secured the most parliamentary seats in 2008 and he became prime minister but quit a year later over differences with the president.
Nepal PM Dahal faces crisis as key ally drops parliamentary support (Reuters)
Reuters [7/3/2024 10:33 AM, Gopal Sharma, 85570K, Neutral]
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal faced a crisis on Wednesday after a key ally in his multi-party coalition withdrew support, pushing his government into a minority in parliament four months after the coalition was formed.

The liberal Communist Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) party, which withdrew support and was the biggest group supporting Dahal’s government since March, also said eight ministers it had nominated to the coalition would resign.

Party officials said UML and opposition Nepali Congress party, the two largest groups in parliament, would unite to form a new coalition and replace the one headed by Dahal.

“The new alliance is for stability,” UML’s Pradeep Gyawali told Reuters, without providing details.

Nepal, a natural buffer between China and India, has long been beset with factional fighting and politicians’ egos that have prevented the formation of stable governments. There have been 13 since 2008, when Nepal became a republic and a 239-year monarchy was abolished.

Dahal, 69, a former Maoist rebel chief, has changed allies thrice since becoming prime minister after parliamentary elections in 2022.

His Maoist centre party said Dahal would not resign but would face a vote of confidence in parliament as required within 30 days.

Prakash Sharan Mahat, a spokesman for the Nepali Congress party, said UML chief K.P. Sharma Oli, 72, and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, 78, would share the prime minister’s post until the next election in November 2027.
Sri Lanka reaches provisional deal on $12.5 bln bond rework (Reuters)
Reuters [7/3/2024 2:52 PM, Pushkala Aripaka and Uditha Jayasinghe, 5.2M, Positive]
Sri Lanka has secured a deal to move forward on restructuring about $12.5 billion of international bonds, the government said on Wednesday, a major step in the island nation’s fragile recovery from a severe financial crisis.

The South Asian country defaulted for the first time on its foreign debt in May 2022 after its economy was driven to the brink by a slump in foreign exchange reserves.

Restructuring international bonds was one of the key conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $2.9 billion bailout programme that helped Sri Lanka tame inflation, stabilise its currency, and improve public finances.

The deal with selected bondholders, who cover about 50% of Sri Lanka’s bonds, is contingent on confirmation by the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) made up of bilateral creditors and the IMF to ensure it is in line with the global lender’s debt sustainability analysis for the country.

The latest agreement comes after Sri Lanka held a second round of formal talks with bondholders this week.

"Sri Lanka ... looks forward to further constructive interaction to finalise the ISB (International Sovereign Bonds) restructuring," the government said in a regulatory statement.

The framework proposes a 28% haircut on face value and 11% reduction on past interest with payments on the interest component to start from September.

The outline proposes to swap four existing dollar-denominated bonds for a bundle of three fixed income instruments.

One is a standard or so-called "plain vanilla" bond that has a coupon of 4% and matures in 2028. The second is a series of macro-linked bonds, where payouts and principal will be adjusted according to the country’s economic performance - downwards in case the economy fails to hit the IMF baseline projections, and upwards if the economy outperforms.

A third instrument would be a so-called governance linked bond. While the statement did not detail the parameters to which the payout was linked, a source familiar with the situation said the country would have to pay investors less if it managed to achieve reforms demanded by the IMF and hit tax revenue targets.

The bondholder group, the Paris Club, and the IMF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sri Lankan sovereign dollar bonds were marginally up in price on Wednesday, still trading around 57 or 58 cents on the dollar. The bonds were up nearly 15% year to date at the index level up to Tuesday’s close, according to JPMorgan data.

Sri Lanka signed in late June an agreement with creditor nations including Japan, India and China to restructure about $10 billion in bilateral debt.

Sri Lanka now needs to present the proposal to all its bondholders who need to agree to the deal for the restructuring to be finalised.

The country, whose total external debt is $37 billion, also has to finalise arrangements with China Development Bank to restructure debt of $2.2 billion, according to the latest finance ministry data.
Sri Lanka calls for Japanese investments in infrastructure and IT (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [7/3/2024 6:31 AM, Tamayo Muto, 2042K, Positive]
Sri Lanka is calling for new investments from Japan after reaching an agreement to restructure $5.8 billion of debt with creditors, including Japan, India and China, hoping to revive its economy and achieve balanced diplomacy.

"We expect the [Japan-funded] project to commence anytime" after finalizing a debt restructuring deal process, said Ali Sabry, Sri Lanka’s minister of foreign affairs, in an interview with Nikkei Asia on Wednesday.

The cash-strapped South Asian country hopes to restart many stalled projects funded by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), such as the construction of a light railway through Colombo and the expansion of the international airport near the capital.

"Airport expansion is very important. ... We want to be a global hub," Sabry said.

In 2020, the Japanese engineering group Taisei won a contract worth 62 billion yen ($383 million at current rates) for the second phase of the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport, about 30 kilometers north of Colombo. The contract included the construction of a four-story passenger terminal, and Taisei had expected to complete the project around 2023.

But the company terminated the contract after JICA stopped funding for Sri Lanka’s state airport operator, Airport and Aviation Services, due to the country’s acute economic crisis.

Aside from infrastructure projects, the minister cited "renewable energy, aviation and IT development" as areas where it hopes for further Japanese cooperation and investment.

Regarding the $1.5 billion Japanese-funded light railway project, "[Japan is] very keen to restart the project and put us to quickly improve the bilateral debt restructure," said Sabry.

The country decided to cancel the project in 2020 under the previous government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Experts pointed to that government’s moves closer to China, while Colombo gave the reason as the huge construction and operating costs.

Asked about the important role of Sri Lanka for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Sabry said, "Sri Lanka is very conscious of its position and also its strategic location." He emphasized, "In Sri Lanka or in our territorial waters, we will not allow any more games taking place."

The island nation’s location in the Indian Ocean puts it at a key point connecting the Middle East and Africa with Asia. Sabry said, "Sri Lanka continues to work with everyone but does not provide or contribute to an escalation of tension," trying to keep its balanced position.

He said the nation’s rapid economic growth from 2006 to 2014 was made possible by foreign investment in infrastructure such as airports, ports, roads and buildings, and "that investment mainly came from China."

However, Sri Lanka failed to repay debt to China for the Hambantota International Port, which resulted in the country falling into an alleged Chinese "debt trap" in which it handed over the operational rights to China in 2017. "We also have to learn from the past. ... What we would like to invite now is not debt," Sabry said.

He said, "India is very important for us, and we are in the Indian subcontinent, but we are not India. ... It’s important that while we work with everyone, we also preserve our national independence."

He added: "We would like to see more Japanese firms coming in and investing. We would also like to have more investment coming from China."
Central Asia
Kazakh Activists Under Pressure As SCO Summit Starts In Astana (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/3/2024 8:39 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Kazakh civil right activists have been under pressure since July 2, a day before the presidents of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states convened in Astana for a two-day summit.

Astana-based activist Orynbasar Zhanibek told RFE/RL on July 3 that police briefly detained him a day earlier after he demanded Kazakh officials arrange the repatriation and burial with honors of late opposition activist and journalist Aidos Sadyqov, who died in a hospital in Kyiv on July 1. He had been shot 13 days earlier while in his car near his home in the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainian authorities have named two Kazakh men as suspects in the shooting. Kazakh officials have said they are ready to cooperate with Kyiv in investigating the murder, but refused the extradition of the two to Ukraine, arguing that Kazakh laws does not permit it.

Zhanibek said the police released him after warning him of possible repercussions for his demands. He did not elaborate.

Police in Astana did not officially comment on Zhanibek’s detainment.

Also on July 2, police in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, detained Bauyrzhan Adilkhan, an activist with Oyan, Qazaqstan (Wake Up, Kazakhstan) movement, whil he was boarding a plane to Astana and held him in custody for several hours.

The movement said later that the detainment was politically motivated and was most likely conducted to prevent Adilkhan’s presence in Astana during the SCO summit.

Almaty police department officials refused to comment on the situation.

The SCO summit started in the Kazakh capital on July 3. Leaders and representatives of the grouping’s member states -- China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan -- observers Belarus and Mongolia as well as dialogue partners Azerbaijan, Qatar, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates are taking part in the summit.
Kazakh President Calls Guterres Meeting ‘Bright Sign’ Of Relations With UN (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/4/2024 3:53 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev met with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Astana on July 3 in what Toqaev called "a bright sign of close relations" between the international body and his post-Soviet republic. Toqaev expressed "full support" for the work of the UN. Kazakhstan has hosted peace talks between Caucasus foes Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as discussions on the Syrian conflict in the past year while pressure has mounted at home over economic and political woes amid a clampdown on dissent since deadly unrest two years ago. Guterres is on his first tour of Central Asia since 2017 and is attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana.
High-profile murder case pits Ukraine against Kazakhstan in extradition dispute (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [7/3/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
In what has become a sensational murder case amid a war, prosecutors in Ukraine are ready to charge two Kazakh nationals with the premeditated killing of a Kazakh émigré and social media influencer outside his Kyiv home.

Aidos Sadykov, a Kazakh opposition activist and operator of the YouTube channel called Base, died on July 2 from a head wound suffered two weeks previously as he drove into the courtyard of his Kyiv apartment building. According to the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office, two Kazakh citizens have been identified as being “involved in the crime,” which Ukrainian officials have portrayed as a well-planned hit job. The pair of suspects are expected to be charged with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Whether the two suspects actually face justice remains an open question, however. One is in custody in Kazakhstan, but Kazakh officials have declined a Ukrainian extradition request. “Kazakhstan does not extradite its citizens to other states,” Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh-language service of RFE/RL, quoted Senate chairman Maulen Ashimbayev as saying.

According to the findings of the Ukrainian police investigation, the two suspects – identified by officials in Kyiv as Meiram Karataev and Altai Zhakanbaev – arrived in Ukraine on June 2 and conducted surveillance of Sadykov and his wife, Natalya. They carried out the hit on Sadykov on June 18 on the order of an “unidentified person,” Ukrainian authorities allege.

The same day as Sadykov was shot, the two suspects are believed to have fled Ukraine, crossing into Moldova. A few days later, Zhakanbaev turned himself in to law enforcement personnel in Kazakhstan. A subsequent investigation by Radio Azattyq found indications that the suspects might have connections to Kazakh law enforcement and security agencies. Ashimbayev, the Senate chair, vigorously denied to Radio Azattyq that any Kazakh “state bodies” had an interest in seeing Sadykov dead.

Sadykov had a long history of political activism, but his focus was mainly on local issues, the Mediazona-Central Asia outlet reported. Born in northwestern Kazakhstan in 1968, he graduated with a history degree from a pedagogical institute in Aktobe. After unfulfilling stints as an entrepreneur and in the oil sector, he drifted into regional politics and journalism.

In 2003, he faced prosecution for illegal firearms possession and disorderly conduct, charges that he maintained were politically motivated, retaliation for articles he wrote alleging that local officials in Aktobe had connections to an organized criminal group. The court ended up ruling that Sadykov was psychologically unfit to stand trial and ordered that he undergo a comprehensive psychiatric examination.

During the mid-2000s, Sadykov headed the local Aktobe branch of the Azat (Freedom) movement. According to people who knew him at the time, Sadykov was independent-minded and often pursued a course of action apart from the national organization’s priorities, concentrating on local issues. Ultimately, in 2010, he left Azat over his opposition to its merger with the Nationwide Social Democratic Party. He subsequently launched his own political movement.

Also in 2010, Sadykov had another run-in with the justice system. This time, he was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with organizing a rally against the prospect of leasing agricultural land to China. Again, Sadykov denied the charges and said they were politically motivated. But after a brief trial, a court in Aktobe convicted Sadykov and handed down a two-year sentence. After serving about two-thirds of the prison term, Sadykov was released under an amnesty.

In 2014, Natalya Sadykova was accused of defamation by a member of the Kazakh parliament over an article that alleged corrupt practices. Rather than stay and challenge the charge, Sadykov, his wife and their children fled to Ukraine, where they were granted political asylum.

In exile, the couple continued to mix political activism with journalism. They launched the Base YouTube channel, which, over time, gained over 1 million subscribers. Content posted on the channel focused mainly on social and economic developments in Kazakhstan, usually from a viewpoint critical of Kazakh authorities. In 2023, officials in Kazakhstan placed the Sadykovs on a “wanted” list, accusing them of “inciting ethnic hatred.”

Free speech and human rights organizations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have called on Ukraine and Kazakhstan to cooperate in ensuring those responsible for Sadykov’s murder are held to account. “This brutal shooting to silence Kazakh opposition blogger Aydos Sadykov in the center of Kyiv must not go unpunished,” an RSF statement quoted Jeanne Cavelier, head of the organization’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, as saying.
Russia’s Ally Claims It Thwarted Coup (Newsweek)
Newsweek [7/5/2024 5:10 AM, Wesley Rock, 1530K, Negative]
Kyrgyzstan, a close ally and neighbor of Russia, has reportedly thwarted an attempted coup.

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, which is responsible for counter terrorism and tackling organised crime in Kyrgyzstan, said that its special forces had blocked an attempt to seize power.

The reports of the attempted coup came via RIA Novosti, a state media channel in Russia, which has close ties to Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan Detains Illegal Migrants From Bangladesh (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/3/2024 5:20 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said on July 3 that border guards detained 11 citizens of Bangladesh for illegally crossing the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border. The UKMK added that earlier in May, Kyrgyz authorities had detained 46 other illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the southern Jalal-Abad region. The issue of illegal immigrants from South Asia and the Middle East has turned into an important topic in Kyrgyzstan after hundreds of students from Pakistan fled Kyrgyzstan in May following violent mob attacks targeting foreign university students in Bishkek. The attacks were sparked by an online video showing a brawl between Kyrgyz men and Egyptian citizens.
Turkmenistan and Iran sign deal to supply gas to Iraq. Iran will build pipeline to aid delivery (AP)
AP [7/3/2024 9:22 PM, Staff, 31180K, Neutral]
Turkmenistan and Iran on Wednesday signed a contract for the delivery of 10 billion cubic meters a year of Turkmen gas that Iran will then ship on to Iraq.

The deal was announced by Turkmenistan’s foreign ministry, which did not state the monetary worth of the contract.

The ministry’s statement said Iranian companies will construct a new 125-kilometer (77-mile) pipeline to Iran to expand Turkmenistan’s delivery capacity. The ministry said Turkmenistan plans to increase its gas supplies to Iran to 40 billion cubic meters a year.

Iraq last year faced disruptions in the supply of Iranian gas, which accounted for about 40% of its imports.

Turkmenistan is heavily reliant on revenue from sales of the gas in its vast reserves. And the government was instructed to find alternative options to ensure the operation of power plants in the central and southern provinces of the country.

The former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan relies heavily on the export of its vast natural gas reserves. China is the country’s main customer for gas and Turkmenistan also is working on a pipeline to supply gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Turkmenistan, Iran Sign Natural Gas Deal That Includes Plan To Build Pipeline (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/3/2024 1:59 PM, Staff, 1530K, Positive]
Turkmenistan and Iran signed a contract on July 3 for the delivery of 10 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas per year, which Iran will then ship to Iraq.

Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry announced the deal but did not say what price Iran would pay for the gas.

The ministry’s statement said Iranian companies will construct a new 125-kilometer pipeline between Iran and Turkmenistan to expand the Central Asian country’s delivery capacity.

The ministry said Turkmenistan, whose economy is heavily dependent on the export of natural gas, also plans to increase its gas supplies to Iran to 40 billion cubic meters a year. However, no time frame was given.

Iran has the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves and is the world’s third-largest producer of the fossil fuel, but rising domestic demand is curtailing its ability to export. Iran has faced natural gas shortages during the wintertime.

A gas swap with Turkmenistan will allow Iran to meet its export commitments.

Turkmenistan has been carrying out gas swaps with Iran for several years, but the volume has been relatively low at just a few billion cubic meters annually.

Revenue from natural gas exports account for the lion’s share of Turkmenistan’s budget.

Turkmenistan holds the world’s fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, estimated at nearly 14 trillion cubic meters, according to statistics compiled by British Petroleum.

Turkmenistan currently produces about 80 billion cubic meters, meaning its production to proven reserve life is 166 years, an extraordinarily high number by global standards and one that implies Turkmenistan has the potential to produce significantly more.

However, Turkmenistan has had trouble finding markets for its massive natural gas reserves. Bordered by Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran and the land-locked Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan has no ability to directly ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) to world markets.

China is the country’s main customer for natural gas, accounting for about half of Turkmenistan’s annual production.

Turkmenistan is working on a pipeline to supply gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, where natural gas demand is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades.

Turkmenistan has for decades been considering shipping natural gas via a pipeline across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and further on to Europe, but opposition by littoral states Iran and Russia, previously the largest natural gas supplier to Europe, has left the idea in limbo.

Europe’s attempt to cut its natural gas demand has also raised questions about the viability of the pipeline.
Twitter
Afghanistan
Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[7/4/2024 9:15 AM, 211K followers, 7 retweets, 19 likes]
Recent UN-hosted talks in Doha underscore the conundrum that foreign governments face in formulating policy toward Afghanistan under the Taliban: Painful trade-offs are inevitable, whether they choose engagement or isolation. My latest for @ForeignPolicy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/03/taliban-engagement-doha-process-un-diplomacy/

Jahanzeb Wesa
@JahanzebWesa
[7/3/2024 11:23 AM, 2.5K followers, 13 retweets, 31 likes]
Guardian: Women’s rights activist from Afghanistan claimed that she was raped in a Taliban prison. She claims that Taliban took a picture of the act of raping this woman and then sent the video tape to her and warned her to remain silent, otherwise this tape will be made public.

Jahanzeb Wesa
@JahanzebWesa
[7/4/2024 10:33 AM, 2.5K followers, 1 retweet, 2 likes]
Inviting the Taliban to this meeting, without the presence of women, other Afghan representatives, and political groups, is seen as a form of legitimization of this terrorist group. @SurayaAzizi research https://8am.media/eng/the-third-doha-meeting-and-concerns-of-the-people-of-afghanistan/

Heather Barr
@heatherbarr1
[7/4/2024 2:44 AM, 62.9K followers, 33 retweets, 73 likes]
Surprised and disappointed to see @tomas_niklasson praising the UN’s shameful decision to exclude Afghan women from Doha 3 meeting. @EUatUN @EU_UNGeneva @eu_eeas

Shaharzad Akbar
@ShaharzadAkbar
[7/4/2024 3:37 AM, 175K followers, 8 retweets, 46 likes]
General elections in the UK today. Feeling very emotional & envious. Never missed a vote back home in Afghanistan, no matter how little faith I had in candidates. Always knew it was a precious & fragile right. We have now lost it like so many other rights in Afghanistan.

Natiq Malikzada
@natiqmalikzada
[7/4/2024 7:31 AM, 40K followers, 37 retweets, 67 likes]
Hasibullah, who recently returned from Iran, was shot dead in public by members of the Taliban’s GDI. Locals say the Taliban wanted to detain him, but he was unwilling to go with them. Youths from Tajik areas have been targets of the Taliban’s arbitrary detention since the group came to power in 2021. Video via @Mukhtarwafayee
Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/4/2024 10:42 AM, 6.7M followers, 110 retweets, 343 likes]
Concluded a very productive visit to Astana. Reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to SCO’s principles, vision and goals. Shared Pakistan’s perspective with SCO leaders on important regional and global issues as well as exchanging views to further enhance our bilateral relations with our friends and neighbors. We look forward to hosting the SCO family at the Council of Heads of Government meeting in October 2024. Thank you Astana!

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/4/2024 10:26 AM, 6.7M followers, 175 retweets, 480 likes]
Delivered remarks at SCO Plus Summit in Astana today. Welcomed engagement with the wider SCO family. Focused on the need to resolve conflicts, discourage incitement to hatred and discrimination based on race and religion esp. Islamophobia. Urged collective action to deal with climate change and socio-economic aftershocks of conflict & pandemics. We need to demonstrate resolve & unity through multilateralism. Called for urgent peace in Palestine and end Israeli brutality. UN must ensure implementation of its resolutions for peaceful settlement of all longstanding disputes. Pakistan remains committed to multilateralism and will join UNSC as non-permanent member in 2024-25. Together we can build an equitable and peaceful world order while respecting self-determination, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference.

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/4/2024 8:07 AM, 6.7M followers, 192 retweets, 547 likes]
Had a warm and cordial conversation with @UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres @antonioguterres on sidelines of SCO Summit in Astana. Recalled with gratitude his visit to Pakistan and support during the 2022 floods. Exchanged views on the ongoing impact of climate change on Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/4/2024 5:04 AM, 6.7M followers, 199 retweets, 461 likes]
Delivered Pakistan’s national statement at SCO Council of Heads of States meeting in Astana today. Reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO Charter & principles, conveyed our support for SCO’s expansion & reform, called for collective action for socioeconomic development, enhanced connectivity, maintaining peace & security, combating terrorism, dealing with climate change, alleviating poverty, and above all, ensuring observance of principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self determination. Called for resolution of long-standing disputes through UNSC resolutions. Strongly urged for peace in Gaza as well as peace & stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan looks forward to welcoming the SCO family at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad this October.

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/3/2024 2:16 PM, 6.7M followers, 215 retweets, 833 likes]
Pleased to meet my dear brother President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on sidelines of SCO Heads of State meeting in Astana. We discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation. There is great potential to enhance trade and investment, especially through transit trade and connectivity. Pakistan and Uzbekistan ties are growing steadily and will reach their full potential through our shared resolve and commitment.

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/3/2024 9:51 AM, 6.7M followers, 395 retweets, 1.4K likes]
Had a cordial meeting with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation on the sidelines of SCO meeting in Astana today. We exchanged views on bilateral cooperation in multiple areas of mutual interest. We also discussed the regional and international issues. It is heartening that ties between Pakistan and Russia are growing and strengthening through a shared desire and mutual resolve of both countries. #SCO2024 #PMShehbazatSCO2024

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[7/3/2024 6:22 AM, 6.7M followers, 183 retweets, 544 likes]
Arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting. Grateful to H.E. Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan for receiving me warmly. Looking forward to important discussions in SCO as well as bilateral meetings on the sidelines. SCO is high priority for Pakistan as it brings together neighbors & friends to discuss ways to implement a shared vision for peace, progress and prosperity in our region.

Hamid Mir
@HamidMirPAK
[7/4/2024 8:48 AM, 8.5M followers, 345 retweets, 1.5K likes]
Prime Minister of Pakistan @CMShehbaz stunned many leaders in SCO summit when he clearly demanded that Israel must be held to account for a genocide in Gaza. He also called upon for an immediate ceasefire in #Gaza

Dipanjan R Chaudhury
@DipanjanET
[7/3/2024 12:29 PM, 5.1K followers, 1 retweet, 4 likes]
Pakistan PM’s awkward moment with Russian President Vladimir Putin on SCO Summit margins in Astana. In what was a repeat of 2022 also on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Uzbekistan, the Pak PM was once again involved in a faus pax while meeting Putin 1/2

Dipanjan R Chaudhury
@DipanjanET
[7/3/2024 12:29 PM, 5.1K followers, 4 likes]
2/3 On this occasion, instead of shaking hands with Putin at the beginning of the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif went on to shake hands with delegation members of Putin’s entourage.

Dipanjan R Chaudhury
@DipanjanET
[7/3/2024 12:29 PM, 5.1K followers, 1 like]
3/3 In 2022, he had forgotten to put his headphones on during the meeting, robbing him of the opportunity to hear the translation of what Putin mentioned.

Malala Yousafzai
@Malala
[7/3/2024 12:58 PM, 1.9M followers, 287 retweets, 710 likes]
Forcing Afghans out of Pakistan to suffer under the Taliban’s brutal oppression is extremely dangerous. I am deeply concerned how these mass deportations will affect the most vulnerable, especially women and girls. Under the Taliban’s system of gender apartheid, women and girls face unacceptable abuse and threats. Girls are banned from going to school past grade six. Their safety and rights must be prioritised. I urge the Pakistani government to reconsider this policy, protect Afghan girls and women from Taliban oppression and to do everything possible to ensure Afghan girls who remain in Pakistan can safely go to school.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[7/4/2024 2:42 AM, 81.6K followers, 4.6K retweets, 7.3K likes]
Pakistan: Three family members of political workers from the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been forcibly disappeared since June 2024. Two brothers of PTI member Azhar Mashwani, Professors Mazhar-ul-Hassan and Zahoor-ul-Hassan, and Shahbaz Gill’s brother, Ghulam Shabbir, were disappeared on 6 June and 9 June respectively. The whereabouts of all three individuals remain unknown. Take action by calling for their immediate release: https://amnesty.org/en/documents/asa33/8255/2024/en/

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[7/4/2024 2:42 AM, 81.6K followers, 898 retweets, 1.5K likes]
A pattern of enforced disappearance is emerging, seemingly to intimidate those living abroad who are critical of the Pakistani government and the military.
The Government of Pakistan must:
- immediately disclose the whereabouts of all three family members;
- ensure an effective, independent, and impartial investigation into these disappearances;
- end the practice of enforced disappearance; and
- disclose the fate and/or whereabouts of all forcibly disappeared people.
#EndEnforcedDisappearances
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[7/4/2024 11:36 PM, 99.6M followers, 7.1K retweets, 51K likes]
I pay homage to Swami Vivekananda on his Punya Tithi. His teachings give strength to millions. His profound wisdom and relentless pursuit of knowledge are also very motivating. We reiterate our commitment to fulfil his dream of a prosperous and progressive society.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/4/2024 10:57 AM, 3.2M followers, 230 retweets, 1.4K likes]
Warm greetings to @SecBlinkenand the Government and people of the USA on the celebration of the 248th anniversary of their Independence Day. Appreciate the enormous strides in our cooperation in recent years. Looking forward to further building on that transformation.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/4/2024 10:00 AM, 3.2M followers, 300 retweets, 2.3K likes]
Represented India at the SCO Plus format Meeting in Astana today. Read out PM @narendramodi’s statement on the theme ‘Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue – Striving for Sustainable Peace and Development’. Link : https://mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/37926/Prime_Minister_Shri_Narendra_Modis_remarks_at_the_extended_format_Meeting_of_the_SCO_Council_of_Heads_of_States

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/4/2024 5:28 AM, 3.2M followers, 648 retweets, 6.5K likes]
Delivered India’s statement at the Summit of SCO Council of Heads of States on behalf of PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Thank the leaders present for conveying their best wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his re-election for a third successive term.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/3/2024 12:41 AM, 3.2M followers, 622 retweets, 4.5K likes]
Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning. Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end. Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. The three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest - will guide our bilateral ties.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/3/2024 11:04 AM, 3.2M followers, 195 retweets, 1.9K likes]
Nice to meet @FM_Saidov of Uzbekistan today in Astana. Appreciated the steady progress in India-Uzbekistan ties. Discussed taking it forward to a higher level.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/3/2024 9:40 AM, 3.2M followers, 205 retweets, 1.7K likes]
Always a pleasure to meet UNSG @antonioguterres. Appreciate his insights on the state of the world. Discussed global hotspots and their larger implications. Spoke about the reform of the UNSC, preparations for the upcoming Summit of the Future, and future prospects for meaningful India-UN partnership.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[7/4/2024 8:43 AM, 3.2M followers, 143 retweets, 1.2K likes]
Glad to meet Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin today in Astana. Took stock of our bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. Appreciate the exchange of views on the regional situation.
NSB
Awami League
@albd1971
[7/4/2024 12:52 PM, 639.1K followers, 14 retweets, 59 likes]
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that #AwamiLeague government is mulling #electricity production from #hydrogen and ammonia alongside the production of #RenewableEnergy in the country. "It is expected that it would be possible to use hydrogen energy on pilot basis in the country by 2035," she said replying to a question from AL lawmaker Habibur Rahman (Sylhet-3) https://bssnews.net/news-flash/198317

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/4/2024 11:50 AM, 639.1K followers, 12 retweets, 34 likes]
SM for @MoPEMR @NasrulHamid_MP is optimistic that the uninterrupted gas supply across #Bangladesh will be achieved around July 15-16. Acknowledging natural causes that hinder gas and electricity supply, he said the situation is under govt’s control. https://link.albd.org/athkh

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/4/2024 8:42 AM, 639.1K followers, 21 retweets, 52 likes]
.@NasrulHamid_MP, SM for @MoPEMR, said that #AwamiLeague govt will import 1000 MW of renewable energy from #India. An MoU has already been signed on this matter. He also said 40MW of more renewable energy will be imported from #Bhutan. https://link.albd.org/b5kqt #EnergySecurity

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/3/2024 9:38 AM, 639.1K followers, 28 retweets, 69 likes]
Cabinet committee has approved the proposal to buy one cargo #LNG worth Tk609.27 crore from the United States. Among nine proposals, the Excelarate Energy, US was recommended for the contract. https://tbsnews.net/bangladesh/bangladesh-import-lng-worth-tk60927-crore-us-890766 #EnergySecurity #Bangladesh

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[7/4/2024 11:09 AM, 99.4K followers, 5 retweets, 25 likes]
Presented the State of the Nation report to the joint sitting of Parliament today. Highlighted socio-economic challenges and outlined the government’s strategies, priorities, and plans to address them. Urged for concerted efforts from all for 13FYP’s success.

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[7/3/2024 1:44 AM, 99.4K followers, 3 retweets, 27 likes]
Pleased to interact with SAARC Secretary General, H.E. Md. Golam Sarwar, this afternoon. Regional cooperation remains among the top priorities for Bhutan. Look forward to working closely and strengthening our regional ties.

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[7/4/2024 8:45 AM, 99.4K followers, 7 retweets, 30 likes]
With delegation from @ICC_Chamber in Thimphu today. Commended India’s economic progress; Bhutan should step up in order to align the growth trajectories of our two countries & to continue contributing meaningfully to our relations with India and the neighbourhood by extension.

Moosa Zameer
@MoosaZameer
[7/4/2024 5:37 PM, 13.5K followers, 37 retweets, 37 likes]
Happy Fourth of July to @SecBlinken, the Government, and the people of the United States. Wishing you a joyous celebration filled with unity, liberty, and prosperity. The U.S. has consistently been a close and reliable partner of the Maldives, in the promotion of democracy, human rights and in climate change mitigation and adaptation. We look forward to further enhancing our collaboration.

Moosa Zameer
@MoosaZameer
[7/3/2024 8:36 AM, 13.5K followers, 31 retweets, 65 likes]
Congratulations to Uz. Mohamed Thoha, on your appointment as the new High Commissioner of Maldives to Pakistan. I am confident that the Maldives-Pakistan relations will strengthen during your tenure.

Moosa Zameer
@MoosaZameer
[7/3/2024 8:12 AM, 13.5K followers, 64 retweets, 112 likes]
Congratulations to @ShiuRasheed on your appointment as the new High Commissioner of Maldives to Bangladesh. Your extensive experience in the foreign service inspires confidence in building stronger ties and fostering deeper collaboration between Maldives-Bangladesh.

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[7/4/2024 1:54 AM, 5.8K followers, 9 retweets, 23 likes]
After two years of relentless negotiations and concerted efforts by all stakeholders—including the Finance Ministry, Central Bank, Lazard as the financial advisor, and Clifford Chance as the legal advisors—under the brave and decisive leadership of President Wickremasinghe, Sri Lanka is on the verge of restructuring all its debts, including local, external bilateral, and sovereign bond obligations. This monumental achievement is particularly significant given the formidable challenges faced two years ago. It represents good news for all who genuinely wish for the country’s prosperity and a setback for those who sought further instability to advance their hidden agendas, whether political or otherwise. The world is truly amazed by the courage and perseverance demonstrated by Sri Lanka in navigating through its economic crisis, particularly through the complex process of debt restructuring. The invaluable contributions of eminent Sri Lankan-origin economists—Prof. Shantha Devarajan, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, and Ms. Shamini Coorey—have been instrumental. Their sound, solid, and pragmatic advice has been crucial in guiding the nation towards stability. This success story stands as a testament to the collective effort and resilience of a nation determined to overcome its economic difficulties and emerge stronger. https://treasury.gov.lk/api/file/b0f5c1c0-9cd6-484e-8d00-8f6c7b7b0ba9

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[7/4/2024 9:34 AM, 356.5K followers, 11 retweets, 40 likes]
Now #SriLanka #ISB deal is done let us move forward. At least we know @sjbsrilanka campaign to stop mere 7.3% #MLB haircut paid off. 14.96% is not the best but better. Let’s now look at supposed claw back in #OCC deal based NPV effort, duration and delta in debt service.
Central Asia
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/4/2024 9:38 AM, 194.9K followers, 2 retweets, 21 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev attended a meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the #SCO in #Astana. During the meeting, discussions focused on regional security and expanding cooperation. The President expressed appreciation for the outcomes of Kazakhstan’s leadership in the organization, congratulated #Belarus on joining the SCO, and emphasized the importance of reinforcing cooperation principles. At the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, the SCO leaders approved a plan for cooperation on international information security and a statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust, and partnership.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/4/2024 6:30 AM, 194.9K followers, 4 retweets, 22 likes]
During his visit to #Astana, the President of #Uzbekistan, Shavkat #Mirziyoyev, met with the Prime Minister of #Pakistan, @CMShehbaz. They discussed strengthening strategic partnership in the economic and transport sectors. The meeting noted the growth of trade and the importance of joint projects, emphasizing the need to continue working to increase trade turnover. The parties also agreed to hold a business forum and promote the Trans-Afghan Railway project.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/4/2024 5:46 AM, 194.9K followers, 3 retweets, 30 likes]
In Astana, the leaders of #Uzbekistan and #China, Shavkat #Mirziyoyev and #Xi Jinping met to discuss the achievements and future plans for enhancing their strategic partnership. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the effective implementation of previous agreements, which has significantly boosted trade and investment between the two nations. They also explored plans for further collaboration in education, tourism, poverty reduction and other areas.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/3/2024 8:43 AM, 194.9K followers, 6 retweets, 39 likes]
President of #Uzbekistan Shavkat #Mirziyoyev arrived in #Astana to participate in the meeting of the #SCO Heads of State Council and the extended “SCO Plus” meeting. At the airport, he was warmly welcomed by @primeministerkz Oljas Bektenov and other officials.

{End of Report}
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