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, June 21, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Taliban’s opium ban imperiled by climate change as alternative crops struggle (Washington Post)
Washington Post [6/21/2024 2:00 AM, Rick Noack and Carolyn Van Houten, 6.9M, Neutral]
Two years after the Taliban banned opium, Afghan farmers turning to alternative crops are discovering that many no longer grow easily here because of the impact of climate change, imperiling poppy eradication efforts.

For decades, farmers in southern Afghanistan relied on opium poppies to make a living in their parched desert landscape. Even as prolonged drought dried out rivers and turned fields so salty that they glowed white in the sun, the hardy poppies flourished.

The Taliban ended that after seizing power in Afghanistan three years ago, banning opium on religious grounds. But farmers in the former poppy heartland say they can’t make a living with typical alternatives like wheat and cotton, which have tumbled in price as they’ve flooded the market since the opium ban took effect. Some other field crops and fruits that once grew here — including eggplants, pomegranates and apricots — have become difficult, and in some cases impossible, to cultivate because of the harsh conditions that Afghan researchers attribute to climate change.

Some farmers are abandoning their fields. Others are weighing a return to poppy cultivation or are refusing to comply with the ban.

“If they can’t cover their expenses, they’ll go back to growing poppies,” said Shams-u-Rahman Musa, a top agriculture official in Kandahar for the Taliban-run government, adding that the government is aware of farmers’ frustration. “We’re trying our best to find solutions,” he said.

If the Taliban fails to engineer a successful transition from poppies to other crops, the impact could be felt well beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Afghanistan was the world’s largest exporter of opium before the Taliban takeover, according to the United Nations, representing more than 80 percent of global supply before production plummeted last year.

Musa said the government is now trying to identify crops that can grow in dry and salty conditions. While saffron and pistachio are among the most promising alternatives, the choice of variety will be crucial for success. Afghanistan is appealing to other countries to supply modified seeds that are hardy enough to grow here.

A dramatic rise in temperatures

The drop in farming revenue is particularly pronounced in the south of Afghanistan, where about two-thirds of the country’s opium poppies were grown before the ban.

While average annual temperatures in Afghanistan have risen by up to 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past half-century, which is twice the global average increase, the trend has been even more dramatic in the south of the country, where temperatures rose by up to 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit, Afghan officials say.

Many trees in Afghan orchards were once able to resist temporary heat waves thanks to deep roots. But groundwater levels in the Helmand River Basin dropped by an average of 8.5 feet between 2003 and 2021. Many climate models predict worsening conditions over the coming decades. Winter precipitation, which is particularly important for farmers, is set to decline significantly in the south.

In the past, rain leached salt out of fields, but prolonged drought has in recent years driven a surge in soil salinity. “Poppy grows well, but not much else,” said Abdul Jalal, an irrigation official in Kandahar.

The poorest farmers are hit the hardest. Ataullah Noorzai, a 30-year-old villager in Kandahar province, said his soil has become so salty that he can grow only wheat and barley, which are comparatively resistant to salinity. But his revenue from these crops is so meager that he has already borrowed 550 pounds of wheat from a neighbor to sell in the market and must find a way to repay the loan.

Some of his neighbors have been able to bring in fresh water through canals and wash out much of the salt, then plant more-valuable pomegranates, he said. Noorzai said that he couldn’t afford to do this and that his remaining hope — that long periods of extensive rain will eventually wash the salt away — appears increasingly remote.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, said efforts are underway in all provinces to identify new and higher-value field crops and trees that could bring relief to farmers.

At an experimental farm in Kandahar, the previous, U.S.-backed government years ago started testing the resistance of pomegranate trees to heat. Almost 80 types are now grown between bullet-riddled blast walls.

But to the people who work on this farm, the effort to outmaneuver climate change appears to be an increasingly lost cause. Pomegranate trees are viewed by some government officials as a go-to alternative because the roots are so deep that they don’t easily dry out. But Jalal, the local irrigation official, said he was shocked to see how poorly the trees grow in desert areas with high salinity.

Even some of the researchers’ early successes no longer look promising. Amid prolonged drought over the past years, their peach trees dried out from the inside and had to be cut down, Jalal said, and the experimental grapevines became sunburned.

Farmers’ earnings take a hit

The farmers’ difficulties bode ill for an opium ban that, initially, appeared to be a success. Last year, satellite images showed that opium production had dropped by 99.9 percent in Helmand and by almost 90 percent in Kandahar, once the heartland of cultivation.

But in the provincial capitals of Afghanistan’s south, officials are now concerned about how much wheat and cotton they see coming to market. Even before the current harvest, oversupply of these crops had already begun to push down prices.

While tensions are palpable in the markets of southern Afghanistan, there are some here who benefit. Afghanistan’s exports are booming, boasted cotton trader Abdul Manan at a market in Helmand, flashing a broad smile.

But he was soon drowned out by farmers. “Tell the truth,” they yelled, ignoring a police officer who was assigned to follow a Washington Post team and stood nearby.

“When I grew poppy, it was five times more profitable and it was way easier,” said Haji Wazir, 55, a farmer. “Now, we can’t even cover our costs anymore.”

Signs of discontent with the ban are also mounting elsewhere in the country. Last month, violent clashes broke out between opium-growing villagers and security forces in northeastern Afghanistan, where the Taliban has struggled to assert its power. Poppy cultivation in Badakhshan province declined only by about 56 percent between 2021 and last year, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Adding to the frustration and resentment, farmers said, is that wealthy landowners who were able to store poppies before the ban are now able to sell them for export at far higher prices.

Even some Taliban officers assigned to enforcing the opium ban say something is amiss. As Ahmad Jan Frotan went from house to house in central Afghanistan’s Parwan province on a recent afternoon searching for violators of the ban, he “felt pity,” he acknowledged.

“People lack money,” said Frotan, a 28-year-old police officer, who studied agriculture while fighting the Americans. He appealed to the Taliban’s supreme leader to “work for all men and women of Afghanistan.”

Seeking an alternative

Hayatullah Rohani, the head of the narcotics department in Afghanistan’s second-biggest city, Herat, said he hopes industrialization can replace revenue from opium farming.

Herat is an industrial center, and Rohani wants hundreds more factories to be built. “Each of them could employ 500 people” — not only farmers but also former addicts, he said.

Over 10 percent of the population was estimated by Afghan officials to use drugs when the Taliban took power three years ago. While more-recent figures are not available, there appear to be few drug users left on the streets of Kabul, Herat and other cities. Thousands were forced into rehabilitation centers.

At a center in Herat, addicts, who are herded by guards wielding sticks, live in cramped buildings that resemble a prison camp.

Rohani was eager to talk about how the men in the center are taught to repair factory equipment and cellphones, in preparation for the country’s industrialization. But just as anywhere in Afghanistan, money is tight to run a facility, Rohani complained, including for the swimming pool he had hoped to construct to help with addicts’ recovery.

“Unfortunately, the hot season is coming,” he said.
‘A Big Betrayal’: Afghan Women Sound The Alarm Ahead Of Key International Event That Will Include Taliban (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/20/2024 8:00 AM, Abubakar Siddique, 1530K, Negative]
Leading Afghan women’s rights activists have sounded the alarm ahead of a major international conference on Afghanistan hosted by the United Nations.

Rights campaigners have slammed the world body for inviting the Taliban to the June 30-July 1 event in Qatar, a move that they say provides tacit international legitimacy to the Taliban’s unrecognized and internationally sanctioned government.

Activists are also enraged that the UN has made major concessions to the extremist group, which has severely curtailed women’s rights since seizing power in 2021. That includes preventing the participation of Afghan women and removing the issue of women’s rights from the agenda of the meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Sima Samar, an award-winning rights campaigner and the former head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, is among those who have voiced their concerns ahead of the meeting.

“When we talk about the critical issues in Afghanistan, it will be meaningless without a discussion on human rights and the right of women to education and work,” Samar told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

The Doha conference will bring together members of the Taliban, the special envoys to Afghanistan of over a dozen countries, and UN officials. Afghan women are barred from the main meeting, but have been invited to an informal dinner before the two-day event kicks off.

Intended to increase international engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the meeting is expected to discuss issues that include economic development, climate change, and drug eradication.

The Taliban boycotted two previous UN-sponsored meetings held in Doha since last year. The hard-line Islamist group said it would only participate if it would be the sole representative of Afghanistan at the meetings.

The Taliban has also opposed the appointment of a UN special envoy to Afghanistan, one of the key issues discussed at previous Doha meetings. One of the envoy’s main tasks would be to promote intra-Afghan dialogue.

The militants have also refused to discuss their alleged human rights violations. The Taliban has been accused of gross abuses, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture, and denying Afghans -- women and girls in particular -- their fundamental human rights.

“I’m very concerned,” said Samar. “Human rights must top the agenda while everything else should be discussed within its framework.”

Samar said she is not against international engagement with the Taliban, which has been accused of imposing gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

“But these talks must not mean ignoring all the human rights violations,” she added. “Engagement with the Taliban should not translate to ignoring or closing your eyes to all the human rights violations.”

Shaharzad Akbar is another prominent Afghan women’s rights activist who has voiced alarm ahead of the meeting.

“This conference has been organized according to the wishes of the Taliban,” Akbar, who runs the independent advocacy organization, Rawadari, told Radio Azadi.

“I’m deeply concerned because removing issues like the rights of girls and women from the agenda is a big betrayal,” she added.

‘Women’s Rights Crisis’

International women’s rights activists have also blasted the UN and accused the world body of bowing down to the Taliban.

Heather Barr, associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, said on X on June 17 that it was “shocking” that the UN had made “very serious concessions” to the Taliban by shutting out Afghan women from the Doha meeting and taking women rights off its agenda.

“The situation of women in Afghanistan is the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world,” Barr said in a statement on June 11. “That crisis is getting serious every day.”

Meanwhile, Richard Bennett, the UN special human rights rapporteur in Afghanistan, said the Taliban “must not be allowed to dictate the terms of the UN-hosted meetings.”

“Sustained improvements in human rights must form an essential part of any way forward,” he told the UN Human Rights Council on June 18.

Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, said Bennet’s comments and his scathing recent report about human rights in Afghanistan was part of an effort to “mislead public opinion ahead of the Doha meeting.”

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, said on June 16 that “if there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision” to participate in the Doha meeting.

Graeme Smith, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said a host of Western countries complained in writing to the UN about the lack of non-Taliban Afghan voices invited to the Doha meeting.

“One of the factors that resulted in the Taliban’s failure to attend previous meetings was the Taliban’s insistence on serving as the only Afghans speaking on behalf of the country,” said Smith. “Some international officials object to this idea, demanding the inclusion of so-called civil society actors.”
Afghan evacuees in limbo: Humanitarian parole leaves 1,000s facing uncertainty in US (VOA)
VOA [6/20/2024 11:16 AM, Munaza Shaheed, 4032K, Neutral]
In 2021, the United States began one of its biggest humanitarian evacuations in history as it withdrew from Afghanistan, resettling more than 80,000 Afghans fleeing Taliban rule in the initial weeks of Operation Allies Welcome. However, they were brought into the U.S. through the humanitarian parole process that gives temporary immigration status to the displaced persons. But how has this temporary status affected Afghan evacuees in the U.S.?

Upon arrival in the United States, more than 70,000 evacuees were granted humanitarian parole for two years, a temporary immigration status with no path to permanent residency. Uncertainty around the humanitarian parole status has had several concrete effects on aspects of the evacuees’ lives, including financial, employment, housing, and mental health.

This process has come with many challenges for the resettled men, women and children from Afghanistan.

Masi Siddiqi, who came to the United States after the Taliban took control over Kabul, was granted admission to the prestigious Columbia University in New York. However, his status hindered his ability to secure funding through loans to continue his studies.

“I was admitted to Columbia University for the fall of 2023, and I did attend one semester. I thought that I may be able to afford it at first because I had my family’s support. But after doing one semester I found out that I was financially not able to do it because I did not qualify for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), for federal loans, for federal aid, grants, funds and for none of the benefits that a U.S. citizen or non-citizen would qualify for,” Masi said.

Safiullah Rauf, founder of Human First Coalition, an organization providing aid primarily to Afghanistan and Afghans, leads a team of hundreds to provide food, medical care and resettlement services to more than 15,000 Afghans in need. The organization has helped evacuate more than 7,000 people, including 1,400 U.S. nationals, since the Taliban seized control of the country.

Rauf is visiting communities in the United States to gather support for Congress to do more to support Afghans in the U.S., including in the form of draft legislation known as the Afghan Adjustment Act.

“[The] Afghan Adjustment Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation that was introduced in 2022 to help those allies we brought to the U.S. in 2021,’’ Rauf told VOA. ‘‘There are over 80,000 allies that were brought to the U.S., and many came with the humanitarian parole. They had a two-year visa to stay in the U.S. and their future was uncertain though the parole was extended for another year; but they still face an uncertain future. The Afghan Adjustment Act makes sure that all who came in 2021 go through a vetting process and after that they will become a productive member of the society.

"In the United States, passing of any kind of legislation is a huge hurdle and you have to move mountains to approve any law, especially right now where [the] Senate and the House is most divided,’’ Rauf said. ‘‘Because this bill is somewhat related to immigration, the Republicans are very much against any immigration bills right now. However, this bill is different than a normal immigration bill. This bill is for those allies who supported the U.S. for over 20 years in Afghanistan and their life will be in danger and it is a certain death if they go back to Afghanistan. So they must be given a permanent residency here.’’

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, legal assistance resources and immigration processing are experiencing extreme delays that could span years.

Laila Mangal, who is working for LLS resettlement agency as a case manager and cultural liaison in the state of Virginia, told VOA Deewa about the challenges faced by the Afghans who came to the U.S. on short notice and in chaotic circumstances. She expressed that the unclear nature of evacuees’ immigration status for the near future, has posed a critical structural barrier to their well-being and, ultimately, their success in the U.S.

“When their legal case is in the process and it takes longer, the refugees go through stress and pressure,’’ Mangal said. ‘‘Sometimes this legal battle drains their mental health.”

Masi, the student, calls on the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act so the displaced Afghans can be categorized as U.S. permanent residents.

“As the U.S. officials say ‘we stand by our Afghan allies,’ we do expect them to stand by their allies because I personally believe that they have not yet stood by their Afghan allies,’’ Masi said. ‘‘Not only with the ones that are left behind but also the ones that are currently facing the immigration limbo here in the U.S.; just like my family and myself. I really appreciate that the senators and the representatives from my state and from the other states should support the Afghan Adjustment Act. I think the social media slogans are not enough by themselves. They must push the majority leaders to bring the act to the floor because with bipartisan support, we can have the act pass.’’

Like other resettled immigrants, Afghans were encouraged to find jobs quickly and felt the pressure to do so given the high costs of living, limited aid available, and, for some, the large families they’re supporting. Many found low-wage jobs in manufacturing, hospitality, retail, food processing, trucking, or ride sharing to support themselves and their families.

But with the pending expiration of employment authorization documents this fall, employment stability is at risk for some. Stakeholders shared that because of the expiration date, some employers have begun notifying people they will lose their jobs later this year or that they are now no longer needed.
Germany Blasted For Considering Deportations Of Afghans, Syrians (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/20/2024 11:04 AM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
A push for Germany to consider the viability of using third countries to deport Afghan and Syrian refugees and process asylum seekers is meeting stiff resistance from rights groups and advocates.

The issue was a major topic of discussion in talks between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states in Berlin on June 20.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said during a meeting of regional interior ministers the same day that "concrete negotiations" are under way and that she was "confident" a way would be found to deport Afghan or Syrian immigrants convicted of serious crimes.

Faeser said the measures would only affect a small number of people, and that in the case of Afghan nationals deportations could be conducted via third countries such as Uzbekistan.

Ahead of the meetings, which came on World Refugee Day, more than 300 organizations issued an open letter to Scholz in which they sharply criticized the initiative.

"Please issue a clear rejection of plans to outsource asylum procedures," said the letter, whose signatories included Amnesty International Germany, Doctors Without Borders, and the German migrant advocacy group Pro Asyl.

"Plans to deport refugees to non-European third countries or to carry out asylum procedures outside the EU...do not work in practice, are extremely expensive, and pose a threat to the rule of law."

The signatories argued such measures would result in serious human rights abuses and integrating asylum seekers into society can succeed with greater cooperation.

The backlash against refugees has risen among conservative and hard-right politicians after a 25-year-old Afghan was accused of stabbing a German police officer to death late last month.

Germany halted deportations to Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021, and Berlin has no diplomatic ties with the de-facto government formed by the hard-line Islamist leaders.

Germany is also a major destination for Syrians seeking to escape that country’s civil war and rule under leader Bashar al-Assad. Syrians are the largest refugee group in Germany, with hundreds of thousands allowed into the country since 2015.

The security and human rights situations in both Afghanistan and Syria are considered dire by watchdogs.

Scholz has previously backed dropping Germany’s ban on deportations, however. On June 19 his vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, voiced his support for deportations at least in situations where individuals were suspected of terrorism or convicted of serious crimes like murder.

Proponents of the idea are reportedly considering whether it might be possible to conduct such deportations through third countries such as Uzbekistan while still staying in compliance with international law.

Faeser told the Neue Osnabrucker newspaper that negotiations have taken place with "various countries" and "we want to consistently expel and deport Islamist threats."

The Interior Ministry is also reportedly seeking ways of conducting asylum proceedings in third countries outside the European Union, similar to plans by Italy with Albania. The United Kingdom’s deal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has also been cited by advocates as an example.

Michael Stuebgen, the interior minister of the eastern state of Brandenburg, has argued Germany could engage in talks with the Taliban and that parts of Syria are secure enough to allow the returns of refugees.

Opponents have argued that deportations of Afghans and Syrian refugees would go against the German constitution and commitments under international law and that the outsourcing of asylum procedures would violate asylum-seekers’ human rights.

During their three days of talks that end on June 21, the state interior ministers are also reportedly considering cutting welfare benefits paid to Ukrainian refugees.
Pakistan
A Muslim mob in Pakistan torches a police station and lynches a man after accusing him of blasphemy (AP)
AP [6/20/2024 4:25 PM, Staff, 47701K, Negative]
A Muslim mob in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday broke into a police station, snatched a man who was held there and then lynched him over allegations that he had desecrated Islam’s holy book, the Quran.

The attackers also torched the station in Madyan, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and burned police vehicles parked there, according to local police official Rahim Ullah.

The slain man, Mohammad Ismail, was a tourist who was staying at a hotel in the town when some locals turned on him and accused him of blasphemy.

Ullah said police officers took the man to the station for his protection but the mob swelled and pursued them. The mob then attacked the station, snatched Ismail, beat him to death and then burned his body and left it on the road.

Additional police forces have arrived in Madyan to bring the situation under control, Ullah said.

It wasn’t immediately known if any of the attackers were arrested.

Attacks on people accused of blasphemy are common in this conservative Islamic nation where charges of blasphemy can carry the death sentence. International and national rights groups say blasphemy accusations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.

Last month, a mob in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province attacked a Christian man, Nazir Masih, 72, after accusing him of desecrating pages of Quran. He later died at a hospital.
Man killed in Pakistan for allegedly desecrating Quran (VOA)
VOA [6/20/2024 6:31 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
Authorities in northwestern Pakistan reported Thursday that an enraged crowd stormed a police station, seized a detainee facing blasphemy charges and killed him.

The evening violence erupted in Swat District, a popular tourist spot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after local announcements that a tourist had desecrated the Quran. Residents tortured the man before area police took him into custody and moved him to their detention facility.

Witnesses and officials said a mob later gathered outside the police station, demanding the man be swiftly brought to justice for insulting Islam’s holy book. Police used aerial fire to disperse protesters but failed to prevent them from assaulting and setting fire to the building and police vehicles before taking “the suspect away.”

Zahidullah Khan, the district police chief, told local media that the crowd had also set fire to the suspect’s body after beating him to death. He added that the unrest resulted in several injuries.

Videos shared on social media showed a crowd gathered around a burning body in the middle of the street. VOA could not immediately ascertain the veracity of the footage from independent sources.

Khan said police reinforcements later arrived in the area and efforts were under way to defuse the tensions.

Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in majority-Muslim Pakistan, and mere allegations have led to mobs lynching scores of suspects — even some in police custody. Insulting the Quran or Islamic beliefs is punishable by death under the country’s blasphemy laws, though no one has ever been officially executed.

Last month, hundreds of people gathered in a Christian settlement in the central Pakistani city of Sargodha and killed a Christian man in his early 70s after accusing him of desecrating the Quran.

In August 2023, in a similar blasphemy accusation, thousands of Muslim protesters attacked a Christian neighborhood. They burned scores of properties, including 21 churches, over allegations that two Christian brothers had desecrated the Quran.

Domestic and international rights groups have long demanded Pakistan reform its blasphemy laws, arguing they are often used to fulfill personal vendettas and disputes and intimidate religious minorities.

Critics say that hundreds of suspects, mostly Muslims, are languishing in jails in Pakistan because fear of retaliation from religious groups deters judges from moving their trials forward.
Journalists’ killings mount amid declining freedoms in Pakistan (VOA)
VOA [6/20/2024 7:31 PM, Sarah Zaman, 4032K, Negative]
As Pakistan this week celebrated Eid al-Adha — the festival coinciding with the Hajj pilgrimage — journalists in the country mourned the loss of yet another colleague.

On Tuesday night, unidentified gunmen killed Khalil Jibran and injured a lawyer accompanying him in the Khyber tribal district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Reports indicate the journalist was on his way home with friends when the attackers ambushed his car.

Authorities said Jibran’s bullet-riddled body showed signs that he might have had a physical altercation with his attackers at the crime scene before being killed.

This was at least the sixth killing of a journalist in Pakistan this year. Four media members were killed just in May.

"It makes me feel miserable and insecure, and unsafe," said veteran Pakistani journalist Absar Alam, who survived an assassination attempt in April 2021 in the nation’s capital, Islamabad.

‘An alarming deterioration’

The first three months under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have been marred by "an alarming deterioration in press freedom," according to Reporters Without Borders.

Listing the attacks on journalists and a raft of government measures, Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF, recently urged Sharif’s coalition government to uphold its commitment to media freedom.

"The many press freedom violations reveal a climate of violence and a determination to censor that has little in common with the undertakings given by the political parties in their election campaign manifestos, and the message of support for journalists by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif," said Celia Mercier, head of RSF’s South Asia desk.

The organization ranks Pakistan very low — 152nd out of 180 countries in its global press freedom index, in which 1 is the best.

"Space for true journalism has reduced in Pakistan. It’s toxic. It’s unsafe. There are all kinds of actors — state actors, nonstate actors — who are making our space more limited," said Alam.

Electronic curbs

The latest step that could further limit space for journalism and access to information may be the implementation of a national firewall to filter any online content authorities deem inappropriate.

In a January interview with a news channel, Pakistan’s then-interim prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, announced the measure.

"Very soon a national firewall will be deployed," Kakar said.

A high-ranking government official recently confirmed to VOA Urdu that Sharif government authorities were working to deploy that nationwide online censorship tool, although the government has not issued a formal statement about it.

This follows the mid-February suspension of the X social media platform, formerly Twitter, on orders of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior.

Speaking to VOA, the ministry spokesperson said he did not have information about the national firewall.

"It is not the domain of the Interior Ministry," said Qadir Yar Tiwana, adding that just because the ministry banned X, it could not be held responsible for all similar measures.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the country’s independent telecom regulator, and the Ministry of Information Technology – two offices Tiwana said would be responsible for implementing any firewall — did not respond to VOA requests for comment.

Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar received VOA’s query about the firewall but did not share a response in time for the publication of this story. At a recent press conference, however, Tarar dismissed the suggestion that Pakistan discussed acquiring the firewall from China during Sharif’s recent visit there.

Sadaf Khan, co-founder of the nonprofit Media Matters for Democracy, told VOA the lack of information about the firewall was adding to fears of further decline in media freedom and privacy in the country.

"There is no clarity on what this firewall is [or] how invasive it is. Is it surveilling data? Is there an encryption blockage?" Khan said. "If there is a bit of digital literacy, if people are smart about it, they will still be able to access the information that they need. However, obviously, it does increase the chance for surveillance. There might just be a chilling effect. This kind of ambiguity creates a lot of fear."

Legislative curbs

Government efforts to curb what it considers fake news and propaganda online have compounded fears of declining freedoms of information and expression.

In May, the federal government created the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. Despite the existence of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cybercrimes Cell, Tarar said in a press conference that "there was a call for a specific authority to address the issue of online harassment."

Critics say it is unclear how broad the new agency’s powers will be or what its impact on privacy and online freedom might look like.

Later that same month, the government in Punjab province, where Sharif’s niece Maryam Nawaz is the chief minister, enacted what was called an anti-defamation law. Media and civil society condemned the law for protecting state institutions from scrutiny and requiring no proof of damage for filing a defamation lawsuit. The law is currently being challenged in the Lahore High Court.

Alam, the veteran Pakistani journalist who served as the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority from 2015 to 2017, said some of the state’s concerns regarding fake news are not unfounded.

"It’s not only the state that suffers from fake news and irresponsible journalism," Alam said, pointing to cases where Pakistani citizens won defamation lawsuits in Britain for content broadcast there by Pakistani channels.

Given Britain’s tough laws, Alam said, Pakistani news channels now often refrain from airing potentially defamatory content in the United Kingdom but still show it in Pakistan.

Still, he acknowledged, strict laws in Pakistan are often used as a tool to target journalists.

"Past history tells that all governments have been using such laws against journalism, not against fake news spreaders," Alam said.

Awaiting justice

Media watchdogs regard Pakistan as a dangerous country for journalists. Most cases of journalists targeted for their work remain unresolved.

On Thursday, journalists in several towns across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protested Jibran’s killing. The day before, locals, journalists and civil society activists protested with Jibran’s shrouded remains, temporarily blocking a highway that runs to the border with Afghanistan.

Although Sharif condemned the killing, Alam is not optimistic that justice will be served anytime soon.

"Successive governments in the last many years have not apprehended the culprits who attacked journalists," said Alam, whose attackers and their financiers are out on bail or have disappeared. "So, I think the statement by the prime minister may be part of the verbal support to journalists but, practically speaking, the problem is in our culture."
As polio cases rise in Pakistan, is there a way out? (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [6/20/2024 11:41 AM, Haroon Janjua, 15592K, Neutral]
Pakistan’s polio eradication campaign is in disarray after the South Asian country of 240 million people reported the year’s fifth case of the highly infectious virus. It is another blow to the country’s efforts to eradicate the debilitating disease.

Four polio cases were reported in the southwestern Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan, while a fifth case is the latest to be reported from the southern Sindh province, raising concerns about the feasibility of eradicating polio in the near future.

"The cases this year are a striking reminder that no child anywhere would be totally safe from the crippling disease until Pakistan succeeded in eradicating polio completely," said Malik Mukhtar Bharath, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator on national health services.

According to the World Health Organization, polio, which is found typically in children under the age of 5 and can lead to paralysis or even death, remains endemic in two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Last year six cases of the virus were detected in Pakistan. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), Pakistan was tantalizingly close to the elimination of polio after just one case was reported in 2021.

Conspiracy theories hinder progress

Experts believe that the cases emerging in Pakistan are due to various factors.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to operate in a highly complex and challenging environment," Dr Hamid Jafari, director of polio eradication at the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, told DW.

"Primary drivers of risks include large population movements, insecurity compromising access and quality of vaccination in key infected areas, combined with communities with significant vaccine hesitancy and persistently low routine immunization coverage in polio-critical geographies."

"All five cases reported this year in Pakistan are linked to the two YB3A related genetic clusters following extensive cross-border transmission from Afghanistan. These cases have been reported from Chaman, Dera Bugti, Kila Abdullah, Shikarpur and Quetta," added Jafari.

The polio workforce is frequently targeted in Pakistan where Islamist militants and hardliner clerics blamed government vaccination drives as a foreign agenda to sterilize Muslim children and a cover for Western spies.

"The current widespread detections are especially concerning as we have just now entered the high transmission season. The virus has been reestablished in our historic reservoirs. From there it is spreading. We can expect more spread over this high transmission season," Natalia Molodecky, who worked with GPEI in Pakistan’s polio emergency operations center in Islamabad, told DW.

"The main factor attributed to large unpredictable movements of populations resulting in virus detection in areas that had been polio-free for years. The large unusual population movements were in part related to the repatriation of Afghan migrants," underlined Jafari.

However the five cases reported are not clustered and are reported from five different districts of two provinces.

"Natural disasters including torrential rains, heat waves, and flooding create a snowball effect where internal displacement results in low vaccine uptake while poor sewage allows entry of polio virus in the water reservoirs. Lack of clean drinking water forces people to drink unhygienic water, increasing the risks," Dr Fareeha Irfan, a public health physician and expert in policy working with the Punjab healthcare commission, told DW.

Sporadic cases ‘likely’ to continue

Experts warned that there could be a spike in polio cases ahead and the risks of the virus resurging in high-risk areas is real.

"The persistent detection of poliovirus in environmental samples and sporadic cases will delay the interruption of transmission beyond the timeline of end 2024, and will likely get pushed to the next low season in the first half of 2025," asserted Jafari.

Molodecky agrees. "As polio continues to move out of the core reservoirs during this high transmission season, we may see an increased case burden outside of these historic reservoir areas," the health expert said.

Despite a remarkable progress in the global effort to eradicate the crippling virus, both Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to combat sporadic outbreaks, particularly in remote regions with disrupted access to healthcare services.

"The program in Pakistan has reached a high level of sophistication and possesses the resilience, capabilities, resources and support needed to finish the job," affirmed Jafari.

Diversion of resources, human and infrastructural, to matters deemed more important have been responsible in the past for an uptick in polio cases.

"Vaccine hesitancy always underscores a suboptimal uptake of vaccines in Pakistan, and while the trend was limited to a less educated strata of the society, now even educated families are reluctant to get their children vaccinated, especially with oral vaccines," said Dr Irfan.

How to tackle it?

Experts suggest that urgent and diligent work to end polio must continue throughout this year to carefully identify and remap migrants and all unvaccinated children.

"We must ensure these missed children are vaccinated to stem outbreaks and ensure historic reservoirs, the major population hubs that were free of polio for more than two years, stop the virus as soon as possible," suggested Jafari.

The pattern of virus detections strongly suggests that populations living in bordering districts are contributing to the persistence and spread of the virus.

"When we are talking about sources versus sinks of virus — the source of virus is typically our historic reservoirs — so tackling things at the source is critical for sustained success. We know how to clear polio from these areas and have done it before," underlined Molodecky.

"Greater coordination and collaboration of efforts along border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as ‘virus corridors,’ is essential in the coming months," stressed Jafari.
India
Lawmakers meet with Indian Prime Minister Modi amid tensions with China (The Hill)
The Hill [6/20/2024 11:56 AM, Sarakshi Rai, 18752K, Positive]
A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) met with newly reelected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday.

In a post on the social platform X, Modi said he had “a very good exchange of views with friends” from Congress and added that he “deeply values the strong bipartisan support in advancing India- US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.”

The delegation also held meetings with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The meeting with Modi, who was reelected to a third term in June, comes a day after the lawmakers met with the Dalai Lama. China, which does not recognize officials from the Tibetan government, including the Dalai Lama, issued a strong rebuke of the meeting.

The lawmakers said their visit was meant to highlight the Tibet Dispute Act passed last week that encouraged China to heal ties with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders.

The meeting also comes on the heels of a joint statement by both the United States and India committing to an increasing cooperation with each other on technology and defense innovation.

India and the U.S. have grown closer recently, as both countries eye China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region with caution. Modi was honored with a state visit last year, where he and President Biden called the India-U.S. relationship among the most consequential in the world.

The delegation to India included former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.).
India Eyes US Combat Vehicles To Replace Ageing Russian BMPS (Newsweek)
Newsweek [6/20/2024 12:40 PM, Aadil Brar, 50452K, Neutral]
The U.S. and India are engaged in talks to jointly manufacture the latest generation of Stryker armored infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs or infantry combat vehicles ) as New Delhi looks to replace the aging Russian-made ICVs.

"India and the US are now in an ‘advanced stage of talks’ for the proposed joint manufacture of the latest generation of Stryker armoured infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) as part of their defense-industrial cooperation roadmap," Indian newspaper The Times of India reported on Monday.

In a strategic move, the U.S. has recently proposed showcasing the Stryker’s capabilities in India’s challenging high-altitude regions. Sources told The Times of India that the Indian defense ministry is currently evaluating a detailed three-phase plan for the project.

"If the Stryker project is finalized, the existing Indian capabilities in IFVs will be taken into account," a source told the newspaper. "Strykers will have to be customized and technologically configured for Indian terrain, including operations in high-altitude areas like eastern Ladakh and Sikkim."

The potential joint-production of the Stryker armored vehicle was one of the primary topics of discussion during U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi from June 17 to 18, Indian media outlet The Print reported on Monday.

India has relied on the Russian-built Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty-II (BMP-II) as an IFV, but the Indian Army is now looking to replace with these with more advanced vehicles.

China and India now view each other as geopolitical rivals, with Washington supporting New Delhi as a counterbalance to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries have been in a military standoff since 2020, which saw their first armed clash in over four decades.

In June of that year, a violent skirmish between Indian and Chinese patrols in a Himalayan ravine marked the first deadly clash along the disputed border in nearly 50 years. The encounter resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian troops and at least four Chinese soldiers.

Since 2020 at least 50,000 soldiers from both sides have been stationed face-to-face in the east of the Indian region of Ladakh. The deployment extends far beyond these immediate numbers, with the Indian Army reportedly having between 150,000 and 200,000 soldiers along its border with China.

The People’s Liberation Army is said to have a comparable number of troops across the border, with up to 200,000 soldiers from the Xinjiang and Tibet Military Regions.

China has deployed a large number of IFVs in eastern Ladakh, Janes Group, a defense affairs platform, reported on Tuesday.

India’s proposed plan to reequip with Strykers is set to begin with a limited purchase of the vehicles directly from the U.S. through its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. This initial step would be followed by joint-production in India and culminate in the co-development of advanced versions of the ICV.

One expert believes Strykers may be ideal for India as evidenced by the vehicle’s performance in the Russia-Ukraine war.

"The U.S.’ willingness to demonstrate the Stryker’s mobility and firepower in high-altitude areas, especially after its reasonable performance in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, may be key reasons for India to proceed with this project," Swasti Rao, an associate fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, told Newsweek.

However, the success of this plan hinges on the Stryker meeting the stringent operational requirements of the Indian Army’s mechanized infantry battalions. Additionally, the project must achieve a high level of indigenization and would involve the transfer of critical technologies to an Indian partner, in either the public defense sector or a private company.

In a bid to solidify this deal, the U.S. is vigorously promoting the Strykers.

Ahead of Sullivan’s visit to India, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin highlighted the potential "coproduction of armored vehicles with India" at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this month, underscoring growing defense ties. The U.S. has already secured Indian defense contracts worth approximately $22 billion since 2007.

While the Stryker project is still under discussion, India and the U.S. are on the verge of finalizing two major deals in this financial year. One involves acquiring 31 armed MQ-9B high-altitude, long-endurance drones and associated equipment for $3.9 billion.

The other deal is the co-production of GE-F414 jet engines by General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics for India’s Tejas Mark Two fighters, featuring an 80 percent transfer of technology, valued at around $1 billion.

The Indian Army is in dire need of new ICVs to replace its aging fleet of over 2,000 Russian-origin BMP-II vehicles. The Indian Ministry of Defence is also pushing for indigenous projects to fulfill this requirement.

"The army also needs ICVs capable of amphibious operations in large numbers. Strykers are not amphibious," another source stated, according to The Times of India.

India has maintained a multi-aligned foreign policy posture while reducing dependence on Russia for weapon supply since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.

"India has not signed a new defense contract with Russia after the war in Ukraine, but in the same period, has unprecedentedly enhanced its defense industrial relationship with Western partners, especially France and the U.S.," Rao told Newsweek. "The convergence between India and especially the US is driven by common interests in China and in the Indo-Pacific."
Family seeks New Delhi’s help for Indian suspect in murder plot in US (Reuters)
Reuters [6/20/2024 10:14 AM, Krishn Kaushik, 42991K, Negative]
The family of an Indian man accused of plotting with an Indian government official to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States wants New Delhi’s help to "get justice", a source close to the family told Reuters on Thursday.

Nikhil Gupta has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of unsuccessfully plotting with an Indian official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. resident who advocates for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.

The plot was thwarted by the U.S. government, which then warned India about concerns of its involvement.

Gupta was extradited to the United States this month after being arrested in Prague last year on a visit from India. He pleaded not guilty on Monday to murder-for-hire conspiracy charges in a court in Manhattan.

India has designated Pannun a "terrorist" but has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it goes against government policy.

The family source, who declined to be named given the sensitive nature of a case that has diplomatic implications, said it "was a matter of concern for our family that we were kept in the dark about his extradition".

"We have not been able to establish direct communication with him since his extradition to the U.S.," the source said, adding they have received no response to queries to the Indian government and its embassies.

"Regardless of the allegations raised against him, he is an Indian citizen and a patriot who deserves the rights and protections granted by the government to its citizens."

The source said the family believes Gupta, 52, "is a victim in this series of events" but that "he will get justice".

India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The governments of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden are trying to step up bilateral ties against their common rival China.

India said late last year it a was "matter of concern" that an Indian government official was linked to the plot and that it would formally investigate concerns raised by the United States. No investigation report has been made public.

Separately, Canada has been investigating whether India’s government was linked to the murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June 2023 in the Canadian province of British Columbia. India has denied the charges and asked Canada to share more information.
U.S. lawmakers support Dalai Lama amid questions over Tibet’s future (Washington Post)
Washington Post [6/20/2024 9:41 AM, Gerry Shih and Shibani Mahtani, 54755K, Neutral]
A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation made rare calls for Tibetan self-determination on Indian soil during a visit to the Dalai Lama’s Himalayan home on Wednesday, as speculation mounts over Tibet’s future.

The question of who will succeed the 88-year-old Dalai Lama — and how he or she will be chosen — has intensified in recent years amid reports of the exiled Tibetan monk’s declining health and increasingly rare public appearances.

The Communist Party-led Chinese government, which rules Tibet as an autonomous region, has insisted that it holds the power to effectively choose the Dalai Lama’s successor, a claim rejected by most Tibetans.

Senior monks in Tibet, a deeply religious Buddhist region, have traditionally identified a child as the reincarnation of the leader following the previous Dalai Lama’s death. The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has said he or a committee may choose a successor before he dies, and this successor may not be born inside China.

The Dalai Lama, who turns 89 in July, has long said that he may not be reincarnated at all, which would deny legitimacy to whomever Beijing chooses to be his successor in the eyes of many Tibetans.

The U.S. delegation, which was led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) and included former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), told reporters Wednesday that U.S. support for Tibet remains steadfast and urged Beijing to engage in “unconditional dialogue” with the Dalai Lama.

The legislators also presented to the Dalai Lama, at his home in Dharamshala, a framed copy of the Resolve Tibet Act that was passed by Congress last week and represents a shift in U.S. policy toward Tibet. It states that Washington believes the dispute between Tibet and China remains unresolved in accordance with international law, and it rejects China’s claim that the Tibet issue is an internal matter and that Tibet has been part of Chinese territory since “ancient times.” President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.

For decades, official U.S. policy has recognized Tibet as part of China.

“It is still my hope that one day the Dalai Lama and his people will return to Tibet in peace,” McCaul told reporters following the meeting, according to Reuters. He added that the United States “will not let” Beijing play a role in the selection of the Dalai Lama’s successor.

The Chinese government, which considers the Dalai Lama a separatist, asked the United States to stop meddling in Xizang — the Chinese name for Tibet — while its state media called the trip a U.S. effort to “contain” China.

“Xizang affairs are China’s internal affairs,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Thursday ahead of the meeting. “We urge the U.S. to clearly see the sensitivity and importance of Xizang-related issues … and stop sending out wrong signals to the world.”

Tenzin Lekshay, a spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administration, the government in exile, said in comments to The Post that “there is a convergence of the free world in showing solidarity and support for Tibet,” including between India and the United States. He added that in particular the United States has been at the forefront, with many policies adopted for Tibet.

Lobsang Gyatso Sither, a member of the Tibetan parliament in exile and director of technology at the Tibet Action Institute, a Tibetan advocacy group, said the presentation of the Resolve Tibet Act, which would challenge Chinese claims that Tibet has long been part of China, was significant and showed that the United States is no longer cowed by the Chinese government’s warnings and outrage.

“This is China’s playbook, and the world has wisened to it,” he said. “This no longer works.”

Indian officials did not comment on the visit, but the U.S. delegation’s trip was notable given that foreign officials visiting India are usually not permitted to address the media, particularly on political or human rights issues deemed sensitive by the New Delhi government. Pelosi has addressed public audiences on previous visits to Dharamshala, including a visit in 2017, when she called for an “autonomous, authentic” Tibet. But she and other U.S. lawmakers went further on this visit in calling for Tibetan self-determination.

“The People’s Republic of China must respect the rights of the Tibetan people under international law, including their right to self-determination,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said in a speech. “This is about basic human dignity.”

“The comments on self-determination appear to be a major departure, and what that exactly means needs to be studied,” said Srikanth Kondapalli, an expert on India-China relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He added that India tends to be “cautious” about the Tibet issue compared with Washington because of its ongoing border dispute with China, which takes place precisely in the Himalayan highlands once controlled by the ancient Tibetan kingdom.

“One of the issues India is concerned about is the fallout over the territorial dispute and the military clashes,” Kondapalli said. “The U.S. doesn’t have a border with Tibet and China. It’s a luxury the United States has, unlike India.”

Following their Dharamshala visit, the U.S. delegation also held meetings in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and discussed the bilateral strategic relationship.
Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal granted bail after arrest in bribery case (AP)
AP [6/20/2024 12:36 PM, Staff, 47701K, Negative]
Arvind Kejriwal, an Indian opposition leader and New Delhi’s chief minister, was granted bail on Thursday by a court in the capital, after he was arrested in a bribery case in March.

Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s Party, was taken into custody weeks before India’s national election, in which he was one of the challengers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi returned to power for a third straight term earlier in June, even though his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority. However, Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition won enough seats to form a government, with him at the helm.

Kejriwal’s arrest was widely condemned by opposition parties who called it a political move by the Modi government against one of his fiercest opponents during a national election. The New Delhi leader was given interim bail last month to campaign before going back to jail on June 2.

He’s expected to be released on Friday, one of Kejriwal’s lawyers told local media.

On March 21, Kejriwal was arrested by the federal Enforcement Directorate, India’s main financial investigation agency. The agency, controlled by Modi’s government, accused his party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from liquor contractors nearly two years ago. The arrest triggered days of protests by party activists supported by other opposition parties.

Kejriwal denied the accusations and called them a political conspiracy. His party is part of a broad alliance of opposition parties called INDIA, which was the main challenger to Modi during the election, which concluded earlier this month.

While the federal agency accused Kejriwal of being a key conspirator in the liquor bribery case, the opposition parties accused the government of misusing federal investigation agencies to harass and weaken its political opponents. They pointed to a series of raids, arrests and corruption investigations of key opposition figures in the months before the national election.

Modi’s government denies using law enforcement agencies to target the opposition and says the agencies act independently.

Kejriwal, a former civil servant, launched the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012. He promised to rid the Indian political system and governance of corruption and inefficiency.

The party’s symbol — a broom — and its promise to sweep the administration of graft struck a chord with New Delhi’s residents, fed up with runaway inflation and slow economic growth.
India opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal granted bail in graft case (Reuters)
Reuters [6/20/2024 12:05 AM, Sakshi Dayal, 42991K, Neutral]
India opposition leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by a city court in a graft case on Thursday, his party and lawyers said, following national elections in which opposition groups fared better than expected.

India’s financial-crime fighting agency arrested Kejriwal in March in connection with corruption allegations relating to the national capital territory’s liquor policy - allegations he has denied.

He was granted temporary bail by India’s top court in May "because of the (national) elections", enabling him to campaign for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the INDIA alliance of over two dozen opposition groups, of which AAP is a member.

Kejriwal surrendered to prison authorities on June 1 as his temporary bail ended.

"Tomorrow morning, the process for bail will be completed and he will be released from prison tomorrow afternoon," Rishikesh Kumar, a member of Kejriwal’s legal team, said on Thursday evening.

The AAP and leaders of the INDIA alliance have dismissed the graft allegations against Kejriwal and other members of his party over the last two months, and said his arrest was an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to deny opposition groups a level playing field in the polls.

The government has denied the allegations.

"Truth can be troubled, not defeated," AAP said in a post on social media platform X following the court’s order.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lost its outright majority in the elections that ended early this month. It formed the government with the support of its allies.
India Denies Permit to French Reporter in Blow to Press Freedom (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [6/20/2024 8:04 AM, Eltaf Najafizada, 27296K, Neutral]
India has allegedly refused to renew a French correspondent’s permit, making him the third journalist to leave India this year, in what’s seen as another blow to press freedom in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Sébastien Farcis, who’s worked in India for 13 years, said in a post on X that he was told on March 7 that his journalism permit would not be renewed and was forced to leave the country earlier this week. The Indian government had not “pointed out to me anything” over the past three months, he said Thursday in a text message.

“This work ban comes as a big shock: it was communicated to me on the eve of the Indian general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, which I was hence forbidden to cover,” said Farcis in his post on X. “This appeared to me as an incomprehensible censorship.” India’s national elections began on April 19. Votes were counted on June 4, with Modi reelected as prime minister for a third consecutive term.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t respond to calls seeking comments.

“It’s an unfortunate news to see the government is forcing foreign journalists, who are simply doing their job, to leave the largest democratic country. I’m quite disappointed,” S. Venkat Narayan, the president of Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, said in a phone interview. “The government’s action do not reflect well with the largest democracy we have.”

Farcis is the second French journalist to have been barred from working in India in the last four months, with Vanessa Dougnac leaving the country in February. Avani Dias, South Asia bureau chief for Australia’s ABC News, left India in April after she said she faced problems extending her visa.

Farcis was the South Asia correspondent for Radio France Internationale, Radio France, Liberation and the Swiss and Belgian public radios. Both Farcis and Dougnac are married to Indian citizens and hold an Overseas Citizen of India card that allows them to live and work in India.

Journalists and media houses have come under increasing pressure from the Indian government for news coverage that may be perceived as critical of Modi’s government.

Last year, the BBC’s offices in New Delhi were raided by investigative agencies after the network aired a documentary about the 2002 Gujarat riots and Modi’s role in them. The Indian police last year also arrested two journalists with the news website NewsClick, a New Delhi-based online paper.

India stands at 159 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ latest press freedom rankings.
Extreme heat in India has killed more than 100 people in the past three and a half months (AP)
AP [6/20/2024 8:11 AM, Sibi Arasu and Krutika Pathi, 31180K, Negative]
A monthslong heat wave across swathes of India has killed more than 100 people and led to over 40,000 suspected cases of heat stroke in the past three and a half months, according to data from India’s Health Ministry.

Between March 1 and June 18, 110 people in India died after suffering heat strokes, according to Health Ministry data provided to The Associated Press. Officials from India’s Health Ministry and its subsidiary body, the National Centre for Disease Control, which compiled the figures, declined to comment.

The highest number of deaths — 36 — were reported in Uttar Pradesh state, followed by other northern states including Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha, which has borne the brunt of the extreme weather. The data also showed that of the 40,272 cases of suspected heat stroke during this period, 457 were reported on Tuesday.

The capital, New Delhi, has also been gripped by extreme heat even as brief rains and winds on Thursday morning cooled temperatures after the city suffered its hottest night in over five decades earlier this week. The country’s weather department expects some respite from the heat over the next few days, but said extreme weather could continue after that.

India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 40 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the plains and 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) or more in its hilly regions.

In recent weeks, parts of the capital reported temperatures up to 51 C (123.8 F), triggering record demand for electricity and leading to frequent power cuts in the city, which is also battling a severe water crisis.

A number of places in northern India, where soaring temperatures have broken records, have also been forced to shut schools due to the heat.

On Wednesday, Health Minister J P Nadda directed authorities to set up special heat wave units in federally run government hospitals to help patients who fall ill due to the heat.

The main summer months — April, May and June — are always hot in most parts of India before the monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures.

But the heat has become more intense in the past decade and is usually accompanied by severe water shortages, with tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people lacking running water.

Climate experts also say that extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent. A study by the World Weather Attribution, a climate impact monitoring agency, found that a searing heat wave in April in parts of Asia was made at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent by climate change.

According to India’s weather agency, this year’s heat wave, which has continued for more than three weeks, is likely among the longest continuous heat spells the country has ever experienced.

Last year, more than 150 people died in India during heat waves. The government estimates nearly 11,000 people have died in heat waves this century, but experts say such figures are likely a vast undercount, since the lack of an efficient system to document heat-related illness and deaths remains a major issue.

“We don’t classify and measure deaths as much as we should and that is one reason why heat-related deaths are difficult to count,” said Dileep Mavalankar, former head of the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar.

Mavalankar was instrumental in developing India’s first heat action plan for the city of Ahmedabad in 2013, three years after more than 1,300 people died there during a heat wave.

Many heat deaths are also counted as deaths by other comorbidities, according to Mavalankar.

“Not only during heat waves but even in general, we need to be counting deaths better. That is the only way we will know how severe the consequences of extreme heat are,” he said.

India, the world’s most populous country and one of the world’s largest emitters of planet-heating gases, is among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A report by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment found that the country experienced extreme weather on nearly 90% of the days last year.
‘My body can’t take it’: Brutal nighttime temperatures give Delhi residents little respite from India’s searing heatwave (CNN)
CNN [6/20/2024 8:52 AM, Esha Mitra and Kathleen Magramo, 22.7M, Neutral]
Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures.

Northern India has endured a scorching summer — with one part of the capital of Delhi recording the country’s highest-ever temperature 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month.

But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set.

The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.

The warmer nights deprive people of rest and recovery from long hours of exposure to oppressive heat, particularly for people without access to air conditioning.

Bicycle rickshaw driver Sagar Mandal told CNN that he’s been getting fewer passengers because people opt for air-conditioned taxis over open-air transport.

“My body can’t take it, but I have to keep cycling. We are used to physical labor, we aren’t complaining about that. But this heat is not normal, something has to change,” the 39-year-old, who pedals people around the city, said.

“No one cares if we live or die, no matter who you vote for this is a problem no one can solve,” he said.

Nikhil Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver said his workdays are getting longer and tougher amid the heat.

“It doesn’t get any better at night, even at night I’m sweating, it rained a little last night but look how hot it is today, there’s no relief,” the 26-year-old driver said.

Hotter nights are a consequence of the climate crisis, scientists have warned, heightening the health hazards of heat stress.

Studies have shown higher nighttime temperatures make it harder to fall asleep and reduce deep wave and REM (rapid eye movement), both critical to how well the body repairs and refreshes itself at night.

In the United States, for example, nights are warming faster than days in most of country, the 2018 National Climate Assessment found.

Mandal, the cycle-rickshaw driver said he has been sleeping on the roof of his home for some hope of cooler air but only for a couple of hours.

“I barely sleep these days,” he said.

Exposure to heat waves during pregnancy may be associated with adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, according to a 2019 study. Older adults may have higher heart rates and more physiological stress when sleeping in warmer temperatures. A 2008 Australian study even found deaths due to mental and behavioral disorders rose during heat waves, especially for older adults.

Power paucity, water woes and heat stress

Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities like Delhi because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings. Areas with a lot of asphalt and dense concrete buildings absorb more of the sun’s heat than areas with ample parks, rivers and tree-lined streets.

The hot days and nights are testing the limits of the country’s electricity grid and water supply, and the strain on resources is already making people sick.

“We’ve been living in this neighborhood for 40 years, but we have never seen a summer like this,” said 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city.

“There hasn’t been power for the last two hours, in the middle of the day that’s unbearable,” Saha told CNN, saying that power cuts also render their air-conditioning system useless.

“We get water only once a day, and it’s scalding hot, unless you fill up a bucket and let it cool off all day before using it, you can’t bathe in this water,” she said.

Saha also said her grandson has been ill for a week.

“They’re small, they can’t cope with this, this is not a human level of heat,” she said.

At least 40,000 cases of heat stroke have been reported in India since March, an official in the Ministry of Health told CNN Thursday, and at least 110 people have died across the country due to suspected heat stroke as well.

Dr Ajay Chauhan, in charge of the first of its kind heat-stroke unit at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohiya (RML) hospital says hotter nights mean increased stress on the bodies.

“When a person has a heat stroke, things progress very quickly, so without early intervention the fatality rate of heat strokes is very high,” Chauhan said.

Chauhan said people who work outdoors all day need time to cool down and recover but he concedes “that’s not been possible.”

At least 11 people have died as a result of heat strokes at his hospital since May 29 and on Thursday alone over 20 new patients were admitted to the hospital for various heat-related illnesses.

Over the past five decades, India has experienced more than 700 heat wave events claiming more than 17,000 lives, according to a 2021 study of extreme weather in the Weather and Climate Extremes journal.

Delhi recorded the highest numbers of homeless deaths in the last five years during the 9-day stretch.

Between June 11 and 19, Delhi saw 192 heatwave-related deaths among its homeless population, a record high compared with the same period in the last five years, according to a report from the NGO Centre for Health Development India.

“Almost everyone living on the streets reported experiencing sleeplessness,” the report said, adding that they suffered from several heat-related ailments.

Sarita Kumari has been sleeping on the streets of Delhi with her three children, and told CNN her three-year-old son has been running a high fever all week.

“We do have a house but there’s a lot of us and when the power goes it gets suffocating,” Kumari said.
Modi’s New Government Confronts First Protests Over India Exam (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [6/20/2024 10:47 AM, Preeti Soni, 27296K, Negative]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his first challenge after forming the government as a national entrance exam for admission to India’s medical colleges sparked outrage over allegations of corruption.

Some 2.4 million students took the exam this year to get admissions for over 100,000 seats in state-run and private medical colleges. However, there were allegations of cheating and leaking of question papers after an unusual number of high scores. The controversy has left hundreds of thousands of aspiring doctors uncertain about their futures amid a severe jobs crisis.

The sudden surge in high scores is unnatural, said Alakh Pandey, founder and CEO of edtech firm Physics Wallah. “Students have invested years working hard for this, sometimes taking gap years to achieve their dreams,” he said in an emailed statement. “This scam has not only crushed their morale but also disheartened their parents.”

On Thursday, the Supreme Court sought responses from the government and the National Testing Agency on petitions seeking scrapping of the 2024 exam and a probe, the Press Trust of India reported.

The exam was conducted last month and the results announced on June 4, the same day as the outcome of national polls, which returned Modi to power for a rare third term, albeit with a reduced majority.

Another entrance test had its results scrapped after an inquiry revealed that the exam paper was available on the “dark net”, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said at a press conference Thursday. The government will be forming a high-level committee to determine the proper process for tests, he added.

Opposition parties have sought clarifications from the government on allegations of question-paper leaks, irregularity in grading and cheating. India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, will hold protests on Friday and on June 24, when parliament is slated to hold its first session after formation of the new government. The Modi government denied all allegations and said it “is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students, according to a statement.

The alleged scandal comes even as the world’s most-populous nation struggles to provide enough jobs to its 1.4 billion people despite expanding at a rapid pace. While India is expected to grow more than 7% this year — among the fastest in the world — it is not creating enough jobs, a fact pointed out by opposition parties. A study shows that Asia’s third-largest economy needs to create 115 million jobs by 2030 as more people enter the workforce.

Amid mounting pressure, the National Testing Agency canceled grades for some students and announced plans for their re-examination on June 23. The police in the western state of Gujarat and the eastern state of Bihar have made a few arrests in the matter.

The government has to keep the interests of all the students in mind and is addressing isolated incidents of cheating, said Pradhan.
Death toll from India tainted liquor tragedy rises to 47 (Reuters)
Reuters [6/21/2024 1:43 AM, Praveen Paramasivam, 5.2M, Neutral]
The death toll from the latest case of tainted liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has climbed to 47, with over 100 people still in hospital, a government official said on Friday.

Since Wednesday more than 150 people, suffering from vomiting, stomach aches and diarrhoea, have needed treatment after drinking methanol-mixed liquor made in the Kallakurichi district, about 250 km (150 miles) from the state capital Chennai.

On Friday morning, 118 people were still being treated in hospitals in the district and nearby areas, the government official said.

On Thursday, a government spokesperson said at least 36 people had died.

Police arrested four people over illicit liquor sales and seized 200 litres of the alcoholic drink, the state government said on Thursday, adding that it had taken disciplinary action against 10 officials for failure to prevent it.

Deaths from illegally produced alcohol, known locally as "hooch" or "country liquor", are a regular occurrence in India, where many cannot afford branded spirits, even as the public and activists call for a crackdown on the sellers.

The Tamil Nadu government said it was taking steps to identify people involved in the production of methanol - a toxic chemical normally used for industrial purposes.

Videos from ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, and local media showed state ministers and opposition leaders making a beeline to the district to meet the victims.

There was mass cremation of the deceased and families carried out last rites only a few metres (yards) apart, videos showed, reminiscent of images from India during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than a dozen people died last year in a similar incident in a nearby district of Tamil Nadu.
Modi Should Loosen Purse Strings for His New Allies (Bloomberg – opinion)
Bloomberg [6/20/2024 5:00 PM, Mihir Sharma, 27296K, Neutral]
Barely a fortnight after unexpected election results upended Indian politics, New Delhi looks to have settled into a familiar rut. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apparently shrugged off his rebuke from voters and reasserted control of the federal government. While he may depend for continued power on a motley crew of allies, none have been given the sort of ministerial role that would suggest they will drive policy in coming years.

Yet, as my colleague Andy Mukherjee has argued, this continuity conceals a great deal of ferment. The biggest change should be to relations between New Delhi and India’s influential state governments.

However deferential Modi’s newly vital allies might appear, the fact is that they have plans, projects and constituencies of their own to cultivate. Coalitions in India aren’t like those in Europe, where common priorities are hammered out in advance and then shared publicly. Alliance politics involve continual give-and-take — and usually the smaller partners, many of whom command regional support bases, do quite a bit of the taking.

We know enough to predict what they will ask for. Modi’s two biggest alliance partners — Bihar’s Janata Dal (United) and Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party, headed by state chief ministers Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, respectively — have long demanded a greater infusion of federal funds into their states’ coffers. Now that they are pivotal to power in New Delhi, they undoubtedly see a moment to cash in.

Markets would seem to agree with that forecast: Companies linked to infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh have massively outperformed the indices over the past fortnight.

What’s odder is that Kumar and Naidu should have similar demands, despite the fact that they represent very different states. Bihar is India’s poorest, with economic and human development indicators worse than much of sub-Saharan Africa. Kumar is best known for innovative welfare schemes targeted at the bottom of the pyramid. His need for money is clear.

Naidu, on the other hand, is remembered for transforming the city of Hyderabad into a technology-and-innovation hub. Before Andhra Pradesh lost its northwestern districts (and Hyderabad) in a 2014 rewriting of state boundaries, it registered decades of growth, evolving from one of India’s most backward states into one of its most advanced. Now, though, the TDP wants to sink billions into a new capital to replace Hyderabad.

What the two states have in common is debt. Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have both spent more than New Delhi would like and are bumping up against the strict fiscal rules that federal policy makers have designed for state governments. This has limited the policy space available to both Kumar and Naidu.

Over the past decade under Modi, the central government has grown much stronger compared to states, particularly when it comes to raising revenue and setting policy. India’s indirect tax regime, for example, was standardized in 2017. It increased efficiency, but also reduced the policy levers available to state leaders.

States have few other options to source funds. Without Modi’s assent, Naidu will struggle to raise money for his new capital either from taxes or the markets.

Meanwhile, Kumar’s promises to his voters are large: “land to the landless, and homes for the homeless.” Bihar officials estimate that fulfilling them will cost almost 1% of India’s GDP. At the same time, as Kumar has pointed out, almost half the money Bihar receives is earmarked for New Delhi’s pet schemes, which he or his voters don’t control. What remains often arrives so late that it disrupts the state’s plans.

Modi and his ministers might well view their partners’ pesky demands as petty, small-minded politicking that misses the big picture. In fact, if one of India’s least developed states and one of its most progressive are both asking for the same thing, policy makers in New Delhi might want to listen to what they’re saying.

The first test will be the final budget for the year, to be presented in a few weeks. India’s finance ministry, accustomed to dealing only with Modi’s twin demands for fiscal restraint and infrastructure spending, may need to redo their sums.

Giving states more power to raise funds would allow them to experiment with policy. No doubt they will make mistakes. Importantly, though, they will also get some big things right.
NSB
Rohingya may have entered Bangladesh in recent Myanmar clashes, refugee official says (Reuters)
Reuters [6/21/2024 1:53 AM, Sudipto Ganguly and Ruma Paul, 5.2M, Neutral]
Escalating violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state in recent months may have spurred some Rohingya Muslims to cross into Bangladesh, a key refugee official said, although Dhaka insists it cannot accept more refugees from its war-torn neighbour.

Rohingya have faced persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar for decades, with large numbers fleeing to Bangladesh from Rakhine in 2017, following a military-led crackdown on the minority community.

Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the Bangladesh official tasked with refugee relief and repatriation, said his office had received reports of Rohingya crossing over to swell the figure of nearly a million housed in refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar area.

"Some people have managed to enter Bangladesh in various ways and have taken refuge in different places," Rahman, who is based in the southeastern coastal region, told Reuters. "I believe some people are being allowed to enter unofficially."

Fighting has flared in Rakhine after a ceasefire between the Arakan Army (AA), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armies, and the ruling junta broke down late last year.
Spokesmen for the AA and the junta did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters to seek comment.

The AA has captured nine key towns in the coastal province and pursued its offensive to take more territory, in a nationwide rebel onslaught that has left the junta at its weakest since taking power in a 2021 coup.

In May, the AA said it had taken control of Buthidaung town, which had a large Rohingya population, amid accusations it had targeted members of the Muslim-minority community during the offensive. The rebel group denies the allegations.

On Sunday, the AA warned residents of Maungdaw, a town west of Buthidaung that is home primarily to Rohingya, to leave ahead of a planned offensive on the settlement.

‘HELPLESS SITUATION’

But with exit routes blocked, several residents, a Rohingya leader and the United Nations human rights chief have said that Maungdaw residents have nowhere to flee.
About 70,000 Rohingya are feared trapped in the area.

Rahman said he had received messages from Rohingya that the AA offensive could lead to more displacement in Maungdaw, which touches the border with Bangladesh.

"I am receiving letters ... from organisations, especially the UNHCR, about their helpless situation, how they are stranded and that they want to come to Bangladesh, and they need protection," he said, referring to the U.N. Refugee Agency.

The UNHCR did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Bangladesh’s foreign and interior ministries did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

There was no change in policy on the Rohingya, however, a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

On Thursday, a Maungdaw resident who sought anonymity told Reuters that some townspeople had moved to nearby villages for fear of air strikes and artillery barrages as the AA edged nearer, with some injuries from artillery shelling.
Bangladesh attracts more global factories, from Japan’s Lion to Godiva (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [6/20/2024 4:19 PM, Takehiro Hasegawa, 2042K, Positive]
Manufacturers from around the world are building factories in Bangladesh, tapping the cheap labor in the South Asian country while betting on swift growth in its consumer market.

Japanese consumer goods maker Lion in May began building a factory at the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), about an hour’s drive from the capital Dhaka. The 1.8 billion taka ($15.3 million) facility is to begin producing toothbrushes and dish soap at the end of 2025.

The company sells detergent and other daily necessities in Bangladesh through a partnership with leading local company Kallol Group. It plans to bolster product supply in Bangladesh with the new plant.

"There is a lot of potential for growth" in the market, said Kazuo Mabuchi from Lion’s South and Southeast Asian division.

Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp. and the Bangladeshi government began developing the BSEZ in 2020. The roughly 190-hectare project is backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and nine companies have reserved a spot or signed a contract to set up a factory there.

The BSEZ is considered Bangladesh’s first industrial park equipped with flood prevention measures and world-class gas and electric infrastructure. Ready-to-rent factories may be set up at the zone around 2025 in a bid to attract more businesses.

Japanese wigmaker Artnature is among those planning to build a factory at the economic zone. The company currently produces made-to-order wigs at two factories in the Philippines, and is looking to geographically diversify operations to reduce risks.

Artnature chose Bangladesh because it "was the best fit in terms of the availability of labor and costs" compared with Southeast Asian countries, the company said.

Other international companies like Pladis, the British owner of brands like Godiva and McVitie’s, are also signing up for a spot at the BSEZ.

"We’re seeing more interest from Chinese companies recently," said Taro Kawachi, who heads the zone’s operating company. More players appear to be weighing a production hub in Bangladesh in case tensions between Beijing and Washington further disrupt exports out of China.

Bangladesh now relies on the garment industry for around 80% of total exports. The government has been wooing foreign businesses in a bid to diversify.

Bangladesh received $3 billion in net foreign direct investment in 2023, double the figure from 2014, according to its central bank. The funds came from a wide range of countries and regions, including the U.S., Europe, China and South Korea.

Businesses are drawn to Bangladesh largely for its cheap labor. Monthly pay on average rose nearly 50% in a decade across nine Southeast Asian countries. While Bangladesh has also seen some increase, its monthly average at $114 remains at half or less than that of neighboring countries.

Businesses also see big potential in the domestic market. Around 60% of Bangladesh’s population of 170 million is 30 or younger. Gross domestic product per capita is expected to reach $4,000 by around 2028 from the current figure in the upper $2,000 range, matching the current figure in Indonesia.

Still, businesses in Bangladesh struggle with delays in customs and tax procedures, as well as shortcomings in infrastructure. Hard-handed policies by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have also triggered backlash from the opposition, leading to greater political risks.
Central Asia
Kazakh President Signs Into Law Controversial Bill On Media (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/20/2024 6:46 AM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has signed into law a controversial bill on mass media that will hinder journalists from getting comments from officials and interviews.

Domestic and international rights groups and media experts have expressed concerns over the new law, saying it will compromise independent journalism and lead to self-censorship in the Central Asian country.

According to the law Toqaev signed on June 20, all Internet resources are now considered media outlets.

Among other things, the law introduces a three-year period to file lawsuits over materials published in the media, as well as new regulations for the registration of media outlets in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic.

By 2027, weekly broadcasting in the Kazakh language will be increased from 50 percent to 60 percent, while rebroadcasting of foreign programs will be cut to 10 percent from 20 percent.

Currently 50 percent of programs broadcast on television and radio are in Russian.

The Culture and Information Ministry will monitor media programs "to prevent damaging effects on society’s moral development, as well as disruption of the universally humane, national, cultural, and family values."

In 2024, Kazakhstan slipped from 134th place to 142nd in the press index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which monitors media freedom across the world.
Former RFE/RL Journalist Could Be Charged In Kyrgyzstan Over Social Media Comments (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/20/2024 6:24 AM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
Retired former RFE/RL journalist Bayan Jumagulova, who lives in Germany, told RFE/RL on June 20 that she was summoned by the police in Bishkek, where she had arrived earlier in June, for questioning in a case launched against her on a charge of inciting hatred. The case was launched over her posts on Facebook, where the 65-year-old expressed personal opinions about the spread of Arabic culture in her native Kyrgyzstan. Jumagulova, who left RFE/RL in 2007, added that she was ordered to come to the police on June 22 and that a court will decide on her pretrial restrictions then. Kyrgyz officials have yet to comment on the situation.
Former Tajik Foreign Minister Zarifi Reportedly Arrested (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/20/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 235K, Neutral]
Several sources told RFE/RL that former Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrohkhon Zarifi was arrested on unspecified charges last week. One source close to law enforcement said Zarifi was suspected of financial crimes related to the construction of the Foreign Ministry’s new building. The 75-year-old Zarifi served as the Central Asian country’s foreign minister from 2006 to 2013. From 2015 until his retirement in 2018, Zarifi served as Tajikistan’s ambassador to Japan. Last week, investigators arrested lawmaker Saidjafar Usmonzoda on a charge of "usurping power." No further explanation of the charge was given and it remains unclear if the two arrests are linked.
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & China: When is a done deal really done? (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [6/20/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
The more officials from China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan try to provide clarity about a multi-billion-dollar railway project, the more it appears to be a case of putting the train before the track.

Construction of the China-Kyrgyz-Uzbek railway had long been planned, but little done, mainly due to questions about financing. But in early June, the three countries’ leaders unveiled a construction consortium to build the route, asserting that all the pesky details had finally been hammered out. There was one problem, however: none of the three countries immediately published the document that provided specifics on the consortium’s operations.

China’s State Council information service published a commentary by a former Kyrgyz prime minister, Djoomart Otorbaev, touting the project as capable of turning Central Asia into a trade hub. “The new railway [is] a beacon of hope and optimism,” Otorbaev trumpeted.

Days after the initial announcement, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament published the agreement, which contains 13 provisions. The document portrayed the railway project as an outgrowth of the “long-term interests of the sides to develop strategic cooperation.” While it shed light on the composition of the construction consortium, it did not directly address the main issues of financing and construction timeline.

To no one’s surprise, the document shows that China enjoys a controlling interest in the project, responsible for 51 percent of construction costs. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each have a 24.5 percent share. Chinese entities are given responsibility for the actual construction of the railway on Kyrgyz territory, with Kyrgyzstan granting Beijing a degree of extraterritoriality, waiving visa requirements and taxation rules for Chinese workers and equipment engaged in the project.

According to a local media report, China had to upgrade Kyrgyzstan’s debt rating to medium-risk from high-risk to open the way for financing the deal.

On June 18, the head of Kyrgyz railways, Azamat Sakiev, appeared at a Kyrgyz parliamentary hearing to answer MPs’ questions about the project, which President Sadyr Japarov has described as a vital link connecting landlocked Kyrgyzstan to world markets.

Sakiev’s responses during the two-hour session resolved some questions but raised others. He did address the financing issue, but the numbers didn’t seem to square. He pegged the overall construction cost at $4.7 billion, adding that the Chinese government had pledged to give the consortium a $2.35 billion low-interest loan, covering about half the project’s final bill. That loan, given the consortium’s financing responsibility framework, would cover just about all of China’s financing share.

Sakiev proceeded to say Kyrgyzstan would need to find $700 million to cover its construction costs, a number that doesn’t align with the country’s 24.5 percent financing share. A quarter of the remaining estimated construction cost comes to about $576 million. A MP during the session said Kyrgyzstan might be responsible for contributing up to $1 billion to the project, a number that Sakiev did not challenge. He also revealed that Kyrgyzstan was negotiating with two Chinese banks to obtain a construction loan for an unspecified amount.

To muddle matters, an Uzbek media outlet, Spot.uz, reported June 19 that the Uzbek and Kyrgyz obligations were each $573 million, a figure more in line with the agreement’s framework. While amounts have been floated, there have been no reports of any financing arrangements being finalized.

Sakiev reasserted what other Kyrgyz officials have said earlier, stating that railway construction would commence in October and would take six years to build. Uzbek officials have also mentioned October as the start date.

While the start of the project seems set, the railway route remains uncertain. Most of the uncertainty concerns the Kyrgyz section of the railway, which will commence in the western Chinese city of Kashgar, cross into Kyrgyzstan and terminate in the Uzbek city of Andijan. The gauge of the rails will widen at Makmal, in Kyrgyzstan, requiring cargo to be reloaded from one train to another.

The route through Kyrgyzstan will require the construction of dozens of bridges and tunnels, the exact number of which is apparently matter of contention. The official Kabar news agency reported that the Kyrgyz sector will have 81 bridges and 41 tunnels. But the Tazarbek news service pegged the numbers at 95 bridges and 48 tunnels.

Sakiev said construction will consider the potential impact on local environments, stressing the Kyrgyz section will not traverse any nature reserves. Kyrgyz MPs were highly critical of the agreement provision allowing for Chinese contractors to build the entire route. One MP, Baktybek Sadykov, insisted both Kyrgyz and Uzbek companies were capable of doing the work, saying it was “deeply offensive” that they are precluded from gaining contracts.
The West Is Laser-Focused on Central Asia’s Middle Corridor. So Is China. (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [6/20/2024 8:37 AM, Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, 1156K, Positive]
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Kathleen Tai visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in mid-June, the first time a USTR has ever visited the Central Asian region. There, the U.S. co-chaired a U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting in Astana. The goal? Support the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), better known as the Middle Corridor, which aims to connect the region with the West, bypassing Russia via a route across the Caspian and through the Caucasus. In doing so, the region hopes to boost Western investment for more prosperity but also to balance off China and Russia.

Making the Middle Corridor efficient remains a challenge, and the World Bank has identified ten actions that can triple trade along the corridor by 2030. Winnie Wang, program leader for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, discussed these suggestions at the recent Trans Caspian Forum in Washington, D.C. Specific proposals aimed at the Central Asian nodes and arteries of the Corridor include bypasses to reduce congestion in urban centers, a new railway to connect Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and acquiring modern equipment to increase berth capacity at Kazakhstan’s Aktau port.

The World Bank and others also strive to synchronize regional institutions and improve border management by digitizing systems to minimize wait times as cargo clears customs services. These improvements will have the added benefit of preventing extra-regional powers from pitting local actors against one another. The World Bank views the corridor as the “backbone for Central Asian and South Caucasus economic development.”

Greater cooperation among Middle Corridor members is essential, but it will become more challenging as other countries begin projects to smother the corridor. After much cajoling by Beijing and failures by Western actors to effectively engage with the region, the much-delayed China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is on track to be built. This new route will compete with the Middle Corridor, directing trade flows away from the West and toward China.

Several regional mechanisms have overlapping membership across Central Asia and the Caucasus, including the Organization for Turkic States or the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), headquartered in Astana. Alas, achieving intra-regional cooperation and integration between Central Asia and the South Caucasus remains challenging, given border disputes, occasional disagreements between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and sometimes contradictory objectives. Still, Central Asia must maintain its strategic autonomy.

Looking to the future, a broader regional mechanism in charge of the corridor is needed to take the route to the next level, particularly if other countries join the effort (such as Uzbekistan or Armenia). At the second Caspian Connectivity Conference in London, organized on June 11, Magzhan Ilyassov, ambassador of Kazakhstan to the U.K., declared: “We have to turn it into a viable route that exists by itself… For now, our ambition when I say ‘ours’ is not only [Kazakhstan] but also all of the countries present here.”

While Kazakhstan certainly isn’t the only country with a vested interest in the Middle Corridor and Western cooperation, it does seem to be doing the most to realize it – more than the West itself. Kazakhstan’s long-standing multi-vector foreign policy requires Western investment. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a former foreign minister, has repeatedly called for more Western investment to realize the Middle Corridor fully.

What should be an easy sell remains frustratingly unrealized. As the war in Ukraine continues, Europe strongly supports the corridor. Its realization would allow a route to Central Asian commodities and Chinese goods, bypassing Russia.

On June 12, a new coordination platform for the Middle Corridor was launched in Astana to “turn the corridor into a sustainable, competitive, and efficient route.” This new platform is a result of the Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, which met in Brussels in late January. The goal of the meeting was to upgrade the TITR into a “multimodal, modern, competitive, sustainable, predictable, smart and fast route linking Europe and Central Asia in 15 days or less.”

While Europe acts, the United States lags. It is not a major immediate beneficiary of the corridor due to a smaller trade volume. However, trade with Central Asian states is growing and would grow more if the corridor were fully operational. In 2023, the United States recorded over $3.4 billion in trade with Kazakhstan, almost $440 million with Uzbekistan, and around $119 million with Tajikistan, not including investments such as General Motor’s expanded production in Uzbekistan.

For Washington, Central Asia’s importance is paramount. It is rich in vital commodities like rare earth elements and oil and borders Russia, China, Iran, and Afghanistan. Washington’s new focus on the region to procure greater access to these resources and ensure that Beijing does not enjoy a monopoly is admirable, but actions must back up the rhetoric.

Anecdotally, one U.S. company present in Central Asia is the Pennsylvania-headquartered Wabtec Corporation, which produces locomotives and freight cars; earlier this year, it was announced that Wabtec acquired full ownership of a locomotive assembly plant in Kazakhstan. Upgrades to the locomotive fleet align with the World Bank’s recommendations and would help anchor this U.S. company in the region.

As the World Bank has argued, for more commodities to move West from Central Asia, better infrastructure, more inter-agency cooperation, and modern customs systems are necessary. Countries like Kazakhstan have a plethora of commodities that the global markets covet, with international companies from the United States, European Union, and international financial institutions, including the World Bank, EBRD, Asia Development Bank, and others, providing much-needed investment and policy recommendations to improve the Middle Corridor’s efficiency.

Regarding Washington and the Middle Corridor, Tokayev summed it up well: “The United States has always been our strategic partner … I think that we have done a lot. But we need to go further to advance cooperation in so many areas of mutual interest.” The historical visit by USTR Tai to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is important, and hopefully, the momentum of positive engagement will continue past the November elections in the U.S.
Twitter
Afghanistan
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett
@SR_Afghanistan
[6/20/2024 5:33 AM, 39.7K followers, 25 retweets, 83 likes]
On #WorldRefugeeDay I pay tribute to the millions of Afghans who have fled their homes. While resilient, many face vulnerable situations. States, incl further afield, should redouble efforts to support hosting of Afghans in need of protection and expedite resettlement procedures

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[6/20/2024 8:22 AM, 81.2K followers, 44 retweets, 61 likes]
Afghan women and girls face restrictions on their education, work and mobility in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Since the Pakistan government’s decision to start deportations of Afghan refugees, refugee women and girls in Pakistan face an uncertain future. This #WorldRefugeeDay, listen to Afghan refugees call on the international community not to forget them.

Heather Barr
@heatherbarr1
[6/20/2024 7:59 AM, 623.7K followers, 26 retweets, 56 likes]
In past statements we have seen @otunbayeva downplay, in harmful ways, the gravity of Taliban systematic violations of the rights of women and girls. With @SR_Afghanistan’s damning findings fresh in everyone’s mind, we’ll hope for that not to happen again this week.

Navbahor Imamova
@Navbahor
[6/20/2024 8:20 AM, 23.4K followers, 4 retweets, 7 likes]
#Taliban sounding like a typical Central Asian government here, touting the official number of media outlets as if that proves media freedom.
Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
@GovtofPakistan
[6/20/2024 2:45 PM, 3.1M followers, 8 retweets, 26 likes]
The 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bullish trend on Thursday, gaining 2,094.76 points, a positive change of 2.73 percent, closing at historic level of 78,801.53 points against 76,706.77 points the previous trading day.

Government of Pakistan
@GovtofPakistan
[6/20/2024 12:32 PM, 3.1M followers, 5 retweets, 18 likes]
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the National Emergencies Operation Center, today in Islamabad.

Government of Pakistan
@GovtofPakistan
[6/20/2024 11:15 AM, 3.1M followers, 2 retweets, 24 likes]
Islamabad: A high level delegation of Google for Education calls on the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[6/20/2024 6:07 AM, 81.2K followers, 35 retweets, 35 likes]
This #WorldRefugeeDay, hear from Afghan refugees in Pakistan living under uncertainty since October 2023 when the Government of #Pakistan announced its decision to deport undocumented refugees from the country leading to harassment, detentions and fear upon their possible return to #Afghanistan. Amnesty calls on the government to immediately stop all deportations and take back its decision.
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/20/2024 10:18 PM, 99M followers, 5.6K retweets, 21K likes]
As we mark the 10th International Day of Yoga, I urge everyone to make it a part of their daily lives. Yoga fosters strength, good health and wellness. Wonderful to join this year’s programme in Srinagar.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/20/2024 7:50 AM, 99M followers, 5.5K retweets, 41K likes]
Had a very good exchange of views with friends from the US Congress in a delegation led by @RepMcCaul, Chairman of @HouseForeignGOP. Deeply value the strong bipartisan support in advancing India- US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. @RepMMM @RepBera @NMalliotakis @RepMcGovern @RepGregoryMeeks @SpeakerPelosi

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/20/2024 9:25 AM, 99M followers, 4.2K retweets, 16K likes]
Delighted to be in Srinagar. Speaking at the ‘Empowering Youth, Transforming J&K’ programme. https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1rmGPMMkkXLJN

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 11:31 PM, 3.2M followers, 276 retweets, 2.4K likes]
Participated this morning at the #IDY2024 event in New Delhi with members of the diplomatic community. Developing Yoga enthusiasm and awareness around the world has been an inspiration. Happy to see that #YogaforSelfAndSociety has become an essential way of life for so many.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 1:25 PM, 3.2M followers, 814 retweets, 8K likes]
Concluded a productive visit to Sri Lanka, my first in this new term. We will always be a reliable friend and a dependable partner for our Sri Lankan friends. Here’s a brief look: https://x.com/i/status/1803841629083832753

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 8:55 AM, 3.2M followers, 206 retweets, 1.3K likes]
Interacted with leadership of Indian Origin Tamils. Thank @S_Thondaman, @JeevanThondaman , A. Aravindh Kumar, M Rameshwaran, V. Radhakrishnan, Velu Kumar, Udayakumar and Vadivel Suresh for joining. Discussed our development partnership and further cooperation in respect of IOTs.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 8:50 AM, 3.2M followers, 169 retweets, 1.1K likes]
Good meeting with 8 member delegation of Tamil Leaders from Northern and Eastern Provinces. Thank @ShanakiyanR , @Mavai_S , @MASumanthiran , @ImShritharan , @SAdaikalanathan , Dharmalingam Sithadthan, @CWigneswaran and @skajendren for joining. Discussed issues pertaining to development & devolution in their provinces.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 7:30 AM, 3.2M followers, 226 retweets, 2.1K likes]
Glad to call on former President @PresRajapaksa of Sri Lanka. Discussed the current progress of India-Sri Lanka bilateral cooperation. Appreciate his continued support.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 7:17 AM, 3.2M followers, 174 retweets, 1.4K likes]
Nice to meet leader of opposition @sajithpremadasa and his delegation during my Sri Lanka visit. Thank GL Peiris, @EranWick , Niroshan Perera, Palini Thigambaram @Rauff_Hakeem and V Radhakrishnan for joining. Appreciate the bipartisan support for stronger India-Sri Lanka relationship. An insightful discussion on making our partnership even more robust.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 6:53 AM, 3.2M followers, 162 retweets, 1K likes]
Warm interaction with Foreign Minister @alisabrypc of Sri Lanka. Our discussion covered further prospects in capacity building and shared engagement. Also exchanged perspectives of greater multilateral cooperation, especially in BIMSTEC, IORA and the UN.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 5:42 AM, 3.2M followers, 184 retweets, 1.6K likes]
Pleased to call on PM Dinesh Gunawardena of Sri Lanka today afternoon. Reiterated India’s strong support through development and connectivity initiatives. Confident that our development assistance and capacity building programs will keep delivering for the aspirations of people of Sri Lanka.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 4:31 AM, 3.2M followers, 401 retweets, 4K likes]
Honoured to call on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciated the progress made on various bilateral projects and initiatives. Under President @RW_UNP’s guidance, discussed the way forward for the India-Sri Lanka cooperation, especially in power, energy, connectivity, port infrastructure, aviation, digital, health, food security, education and tourism sectors. Committed to working for the steady development of our traditionally close and friendly ties.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 4:07 AM, 3.2M followers, 315 retweets, 2.3K likes]
Joined Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers and senior officials at the virtual commissioning of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and virtual handing over of 154 houses under GOl housing schemes. @RW_UNP

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/20/2024 12:44 PM, 210.4K followers, 9 retweets, 61 likes]
Interesting week for US-India ties & it’s only Thursday.
-Sullivan/Doval iCET meeting in Delhi
-Nikhil Gupta (accused in Indian extrajudicial killing plot) appears in NY court
-Senior Senate Dems send letter to Blinken calling for accountability re India transnational repression

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/20/2024 12:45 PM, 210.4K followers, 9 likes]
-US Congressional delegation meets Dalai Lama in India
-The same Codel meets Modi
-Codel also expected to meet with business leaders

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/20/2024 9:12 AM, 210.4K followers, 24 retweets, 112 likes]
If there is fallout for India from the US Congressional meeting with the Dalai Lama, which had to have been facilitated by India’s government, it could play out along the LAC in the form of stepped-up Chinese provocations. That’s a real risk and will be something to watch.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/20/2024 9:12 AM, 210.4K followers, 5 retweets, 33 likes]
It’s still hard to know what exactly prompted the Ladakh crisis, but one of the triggers might have been India’s growing cooperation with the US in ways that work against Beijing’s interests.
NSB
M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[6/20/2024 6:01 AM, 5.7K followers, 15 retweets, 105 likes]
Delighted to welcome Dr. S. Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on his first foreign visit in his new term. I congratulated him on his reappointment. We reviewed our strong bilateral ties and agreed to further enhance them. Looking forward to working closely in regional and international multilateral fora. @IndiainSL @SLinIndia @MFA_SriLanka

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[6/20/2024 5:13 AM, 356.7K followers, 22 retweets, 53 likes]
1/2: It is confirmed @IMFNews ‘imputed rent tax’ is income tax as I argued from day 1. Deemed rent will be added to actual income and taxed at rate 6 - 36%. If getting a salary Rs 150k/mo lives in home that can fetch Rs 150/mo rent income then tax per mo X10; from Rs 3.5K to 35K.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[6/20/2024 5:13 AM, 356.7K followers, 5 retweets, 18 likes]
2/2: 1] amend agreement and remove ‘owner occupied house’ from imputed rental income. 2] add minimum threshold to catch only the very HNI. If [1] then raising Rs 150b (2026) impossible. Work the possible collection from ‘vacant houses’ and adjust [2] and get realistic estimate.
Central Asia
UNODC Central Asia
@UNODC_ROCA
[6/20/2024 9:04 AM, 2.4K followers, 5 likes]
This week, @UNODC conducts in Kazakhstan a training for border officers from KZ KG TJ TM UZ on risk profiling & detecting drug couriers at BCPs. The course aims to equip officers w. essential skills to combat smuggling activities. #WorldDrugDay @MittalAshita @JapanGov @tadoc_official

Peter Leonard
@Peter__Leonard
[6/20/2024 1:19 PM, 22.6K followers, 11 retweets, 19 likes]
Reports from Tajikistan that ex-foreign minister has been arrested. There are rumours afoot that many other former top officials, possibly dozens, are getting the same treatment

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[6/20/2024 3:23 PM, 191.9K followers, 4 retweets, 10 likes]
Under the chairmanship of President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev, a meeting was held on the issues of training engineering personnel and improving higher educational institutions. He noted the importance of the development of science, education, and innovation for the industrial growth of the country. It was highlighted that 3,000 industrial enterprises are put into operation annually, creating 150,000 jobs. The head of state presented new initiatives to improve the education system, including the consolidation of universities and the transition to a dual education system.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[6/20/2024 11:04 AM, 191.9K followers, 5 retweets, 16 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev toured the advanced educational and industrial technopark "#Inno". Established three years ago, this technopark focuses on generating innovative ideas for industrial sectors and partners with universities to educate young people in contemporary professions. The President was briefed on the development of cutting-edge engineering programs at several prominent universities in the country. He emphasized the practical application of scientific research and examined various inventions by researchers, such as energy-efficient devices and modern advancements in information technology.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[6/20/2024 4:18 AM, 191.9K followers, 8 likes]
The President reviewed the progress in developing master plans for 14 districts and cities, aimed at creating 759 multi-family homes and 22 commercial complexes. This is part of a broader plan to improve infrastructure and increase job opportunities. During the meeting, it was noted that the master plans will contribute to the creation of 40,000 jobs and an increase in annual budget revenues by 350 billion sums. The head of state emphasized the need to create convenient infrastructure and high-income jobs, accelerating the development and monitoring of the master plans.

Joanna Lillis
@joannalillis
[6/20/2024 8:07 AM, 29.3K followers, 1 retweet, 14 likes]
Always a pleasure to catch up with firmer political prisoner Agzam Turgunov - whose human rights organisation has been refused registration a whopping 14 times in Mirziyoyev’s New #Uzbekistan

{End of Report}
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