SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Tuesday, May 14, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Families still looking for missing loved ones after devastating Afghanistan floods killed scores (AP)
AP [5/13/2024 12:51 PM, Rahim Faiez, 456K, Neutral]
When he heard that devastating floods hit his village in northern Afghanistan last week, farmer Abdul Ghani rushed home from neighboring Kunduz province where he was visiting relatives. When he got home, he found out that his wife and three children had perished in the deluge.
Two of his sons survived but another son, who is 11, is still missing. “I couldn’t even find the road to my village,” he said, describing how he turned back and went another way to reach his district of Nahrin in Baghlan province.
Across Baghlan, others like Ghani and survivors of the disaster were still searching for their missing loved ones and burying their dead on Monday.“Roads, villages and lands were all washed away,” Ghani said. His wife, his 7-year-old and 9-year-old daughters and a 4-year-old son died.“My life has turned into a disaster,” he said, speaking to The Associated Press over the phone.
The U.N. food agency estimates that the unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan left more than 300 people dead and thousands of houses destroyed, most of them in Baghlan, which bore the brunt of floodings on Friday.
Survivors have been left with no home, no land, and no source of livelihood, the World Food Organization said. Most of Baghlan is “inaccessible by trucks,” said WFP, adding that it is resorting to every alternative it can think of to get food to the survivors.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed condolences to the victims, said a statement on Sunday, adding that the world body and aid agencies are working with the Taliban-run government to help.“The United Nations and its partners in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance,” according to the statement.
The dead include 51 children, according to UNICEF, one of several international aid groups that are sending relief teams, medicines, blankets and other supplies. The World Health Organization said it delivered 7 tons of medicines and emergency kits to the stricken areas.
Meanwhile, the U.N. migration agency has been distributing aid packages that include temporary shelters, essential non-food items, solar modules, clothing, and tools for repairs to their damaged shelters.
The latest disaster came on the heels of a previous one, when at least 70 people died in April from heavy rains and flash floods in the country. The waters also destroyed about 2,000 homes, three mosques and four schools in western Farah and Herat, and southern Zabul and Kandahar provinces. ‘There’s Nothing Left’: Victims Of Devastating Afghan Floods Struggling For Survival (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [5/13/2024 11:47 AM, Faiza Ibrahimi, 223K, Negative]
Sabzinah survived the devastating flash floods that have ripped through northern Afghanistan and left hundreds dead and missing.But the mother of three is now struggling to keep her family alive as international aid groups battle to deliver medicines, blankets, and food to affected communities, most of them in Baghlan Province."We don’t have anything," Sabzinah, whose home in Baghlan’s Barka district was washed away in the floods, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. "We’re hungry and thirsty.""We haven’t received a tent yet," she added. "My leg was injured, but the doctor could only give me a tablet for the pain."Sabzinah is among the tens of thousands of people affected by the flash floods triggered by heavy rains on May 10. Deadly floods have also been reported in the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Ghor, and Faryab in recent days.At least 315 people have been killed in Baghlan alone, according to the United Nations, which added that around 1,600 people were injured and hundreds more were still missing as of May 12. Nearly 3,000 homes were washed away, the world body said.Rescuers and aid organizations are in a fight against time to reach affected communities.The World Health Organization said on May 12 that it had delivered 7 tons of medicines and emergency kits to stricken areas. But relief efforts have been hampered by the floods, which have made most of Baghlan inaccessible to trucks.Some flood victims say they have received little help."Some people were able to pull themselves from the floods," Khoda Dad, a resident of Barka district, told Radio Azadi. "But now, everyone is homeless. We need food and also blankets to survive the nights."Shamsullah, a volunteer in Baghlan’s Nahrin district who only goes by one name, said the flash floods were unprecedented."There’s nothing left after these floods," he told Radio Azadi. "If you look around, you will think that no one lived here."As rescuers and locals search for the hundreds of people missing, aid organizations have warned that the death toll from the floods in Baghlan could rise sharply.The floods have worsened the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, already the world’s largest, where millions of people are on the verge of starvation.In March and April, heavy rains and floods killed over 100 people and injured scores in central and eastern Afghanistan.Hayatullah Rasooli, head of the World Food Program office in northeastern Afghanistan, said on May 13 that the floods in Baghlan had ravaged a region where most people "already faced emergency levels of hunger" and deprived them of their main livelihoods -- agriculture."The damage is enormous," said Din Mohammad, a farmer in Baghlan’s Dana-e Ghoari district, adding that the floods had destroyed vegetable crops on more than 1,000 acres of farmland. Hit by massive floods and with no support from Taliban, Afghans left to survive on food scraps (The Independent)
The Independent [5/13/2024 11:39 PM, Arpan Rai, 3.1M, Negative]
Akilo of potatoes in Kabul costs no more than five pence, but even that is unaffordable for many Afghans battling extreme poverty. So, parents are being forced to collect potato peel from neighbours to feed their children.
Adding to this brutal mix is the fact that humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country is drying up – a cycle of droughts and flooding has also destroyed crops or rendered farming much harder.
Surviving on food scraps is still less desperate than having to marry off a daughter for money, something a number of families in northwestern Afghanistan have reportedly been compelled to do since the Taliban seized power.
The Afghan economy has been battered by decades of occupation and war, with foreign interventions first by the Soviet Union and then by the United States and its allies before the Taliban takeover brought yet more instability.That misery has been compounded recently by a series of natural disasters, including heavy rainfall, drought, flash flooding and unseasonal frost every month this year so far.
On Friday and Saturday, massive flash flooding killed more than 300 people in northern Baghlan and Takhar provinces, wiped away mud houses and cattle, and destroyed standing wheat and vegetable crops.“The majority of those who died were women and children who could not run out of their houses in time,” Abdul, a man in his 20s, tells The Independent.
The naked bodies of female flood victims were left in the open because of the Taliban’s mehram rule which doesn’t allow any man other than a woman’s husband, father, brother, son or nephew to touch her body, claims Abdul, who won’t give his full name for fear of reprisal from the Taliban.
Abdul has never seen rainfall and floods like this weekend’s, nor has his 70-year-old father. “All fields of wheat, potatoes and beans were ready for harvest. The Taliban will not offer any economic help, its officials looked at us from a helicopter,” he says.“This is going to make us bleed economically in the coming months. Already there are women with kids in tow begging on the streets of Baghlan,” he says. “What is next?”
Similar disasters last year – excess rainfall, flash floods and drought – extracted a heavy human cost from poor Afghans like Ismail*.
To feed his family, Ismail agreed to fix his year-old daughter’s engagement with a young boy from a local family in exchange for 5,000 afghanis (£55). The desperate tradeoff came after he had sold his five goats.“We had nothing so we had to make this deal, it’s still something for us,” he told a representative of the World Food Programme. His only source of income now is collecting goat droppings that fetch him up to 100 afghanis a day. That’s about £1.
Ismail’s is one of thousands of Afghan families struggling for their next meal, according to the WFP. It’s a humanitarian crisis that is only likely to worsen as international aid is set to plummet this month, Philippe Kropf, a spokesperson for the WFP, tells The Independent.
According to the US’s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the UN has bought, transported and transferred aid worth at least $2.9bn to the country using international donations since August 2021, when the last of the Western soldiers left and the Taliban retook Kabul after 20 years.
The bulk of the money, about $2.6bn, has come from the US in the form of funding for UN agencies and NGOs.
Between January and March this year, the WFP says it gave emergency food assistance to 7.1 million people in Afghanistan, which has a population of about 43 million.In May, it will be able to help only about 3.3 million people, Kropf says. Between June and September this year, with funding drying up, the number of beneficiaries is set to drop further to around 400,000.
This means thousands of families like Ismail’s will no longer receive food or cash assistance.“Seeking charity from any source, including begging, has become common in the last couple of years. You see children, young women and even men of around 25 years of age begging in bigger cities asking for money for one or two pieces of bread. That is also a coping mechanism and much less a source of income,” says Dr Qadir Assemy, head of the WFP office in Herat.
He learned about families collecting and cooking potato peels from a social activist last month. He also knows of at least one family that had to marry off their daughter for a few afghanis.
It is a “coping mechanism” for poor families who neither have education or jobs to support themselves nor an escape route out of Afghanistan, Dr Assemy says.
The sons, meanwhile, are sent to neighbouring countries like Iran as cheap labour to help sustain their families. “The level of trauma among Afghan boys and men is no less than what girls and women are being subjected to,” he says.
In Badghis, the northwestern province near Turkmenistan, WFP found a poor family gave their two-year-old daughter in marriage to a 44-year-old man with two wives in order to receive a bridal dowry. They had nothing left to survive on after losing their crops to bad weather and had already married their two older daughters in similar arrangements. Girls married off in this manner stay with their parents until they are teenagers.“It was like pouring salt on my wounded heart,” Asma’s father told the WFP.
Girls in such situations are generally married to boys of similar age, says Elise Blanchard, a French journalist who has reported from Afghanistan.
Blanchard met Mollah Alauddin in Qul Charkh, who got his nine-year-old daughter engaged to the son of a man he had borrowed seeds from to clear his debt.“It’s very difficult to sacrifice a family member to save the others. Can you imagine seeing someone take away your daughter at the age of 9 or 10?” she quotes Alauddin telling her.
Qul Charkh was one of many villages excluded from WFP’s aid distribution programme last September.
Badghis and Herat are marked in red on WFP’s mapping of food security as more than 3.5 million people across the two provinces are in desperate need of aid.
Afghan families covered by the WFP’s programme receive either cash assistance – the agency won’t disclose how much – or 100kg fortified flour, 9kg fortified vegetable oil, 12.5kg pulses and 1kg salt. Given the average size of a family is seven, that meets the requirement of 2100 kilo calories per day.
But lacking adequate international funding, the WFP has been forced to cut the rations by half.
The agency now prioritises families that meet at least six of its 13 vulnerability criteria. In the main, a family with more dependents has a better chance of receiving assistance.“So one head of household, say a man, his wife who also happens to have a couple of children with no money or food whatsoever will be rejected for assistance against someone who has already exhausted all coping options or has someone with disability in their household,” Kropf says.
In March, the WFP realised it was running out of money in Afganistan and would have to curtail its operations. In April, floods piled on the misery of the Afghan people. Now May has brought more devastation.“We are having to pick between families and beneficiaries that we never should have to pick between,” Kropf says. “Enough international aid should meet these requirements but we are now going to halve the number of families we were helping out.”“The situation is worse than dire,” he adds, “an absolute grim picture we are looking at.”
Rana Deraz, a WFP communications officer in Kabul, points out that the latest flash floods have “affected some of the poorest people on the planet”.“They were already struggling for their next meal and now are left to deal with the most horrible conditions.” After U.S. withdrawal, terror groups ‘gaining strength’ in Afghanistan, report warns (Washington Times)
Washington Times [5/14/2024 3:34 AM, Ben Wolfgang, 261K, Neutral]
The power vacuum that America left behind in Afghanistan is fueling a resurgence of Islamist terrorists who have the will, and perhaps the capability, to target the U.S. and its interests abroad, according to a major report by the United States Institute of Peace, which argues that the Biden administration should consider unleashing more military strikes against terrorist targets in the country.
The study, being made public Tuesday, is one of the most detailed looks at the threats emanating from Afghanistan in the years since President Biden ordered the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021. It cites the rising threat from ISIS-K, the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, and continued support for al Qaeda from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban regime as two of the most immediate threats confronting America and its allies.
More controversially, the report’s authors call on the Biden administration to weigh new rounds of U.S. strikes in Afghanistan against terrorist groups targeting America, along with cyberattacks to disrupt the communications and propaganda campaigns of ISIS-K and al Qaeda.
Since leaving Afghanistan in August 2021, the U.S. military has carried out just one strike in the country despite Mr. Biden’s promise that the “over the horizon” capabilities of the military and intelligence community could keep a lid on any terrorist threats. The USIP report argues that the administration needs to overhaul its approach to meet the rising level of danger.“The United States needs a more robust military and intelligence approach to mitigate the rising terrorism threats, in particular those that the Taliban are unwilling or unable to contain,” the study says. “This approach could prioritize lethal and nonlethal targeting of threats against the U.S. homeland and select regional interests, such as threats that could seriously destabilize Pakistan, or against major partners such as India.”
The report argues that terrorist threats are growing in neighboring Pakistan, with some groups aiming to attack the U.S. homeland and others focused on attacks on India. In a worst-case scenario, that “could trigger Indian military action against Pakistan and, in turn, risk a regional war between two nuclear-armed states,” the study says.
More broadly, the paper lays out why the conditions inside Afghanistan, and to a lesser degree Pakistan, have created an incubator for a new generation of potential extremists. Both countries have large pools of would-be terrorists with experience battling Western troops over the past two decades or some level of military training, or both.“Terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan are persistent, and some are gaining strength in ways that threaten U.S. and allied interests as well as regional security,” the report says. “The post-U.S. withdrawal environment in Afghanistan offers terrorist groups a range of new opportunities for regrouping, plotting and collaborating with one another.“These groups are positioned to tap into the vast pool of trained militant personnel in Afghanistan and to some extent in Pakistan,” the report says. “The groups also benefit from the reduced U.S. monitoring and targeting capabilities in the two countries.”
In addition to al Qaeda and ISIS-K, the study identifies the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistani Taliban more commonly known as TTP, as a group that has “returned as a regional security threat” in the years since the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.
Terrorist resurgence
The USIP is releasing its study just months after a United Nations report found that al Qaeda is operating training camps and safe houses in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, though it said the group that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes is now not capable of conducting external attacks.
ISIS-K, however, is capable of such operations. This year, the group carried out a massacre at a concert hall in Moscow and an assault at an Iranian funeral. Pentagon officials have warned that the group aims to strike U.S. interests as well.
The Taliban see ISIS-K as a mortal enemy and, like the U.S., Iran and Russia, want to destroy the organization or at least greatly limit its ability to carry out attacks in Afghanistan and beyond. On the surface, that would seem to provide an opportunity for some level of U.S.-Taliban cooperation in the fight against ISIS-K, but the USIP report says Washington can’t bank on the Taliban’s help.“When it comes to the United States, the Taliban seem interested in minimal information exchanges and providing unverifiable assurances, away from the public view, of restraining militants — but that may not be sufficient to assuredly deter al Qaeda and disrupt ISIS-K to a level necessary for degrading external plotting capability over the long term,” the study says.
Pentagon officials insist that, just as the president promised in August 2021, over-the-horizon strikes are a viable option in some circumstances. They note that U.S. forces in July 2022 carried out a drone strike that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul, a major victory in the American fight against Islamic terrorist groups.
Analysts say such one-off strikes are possible but sustained anti-terrorist campaigns in Afghanistan, across Central Asia and even parts of Africa have become exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, given the limits of the over-the-horizon approach.
In Afghanistan, “terrorists enjoy the same open-field running they did before 9/11. And there’s no such thing as over the horizon. … We don’t have the capability to kill those guys, let alone find and fix their locations,” retired CIA Clandestine Services officer Daniel N. Hoffman recently told The Washington Times’ “Threat Status Podcast.”“There’s no such thing as ‘over the horizon.’ You can’t see it. That’s an awful, very intellectually dishonest way to describe our strategy,” he said. “The [ISIS-K] attack in Moscow ought to be a wake-up call for Europe and the United States that they’re coming after us.”
The USIP report urges the U.S. to immediately ramp up counterterrorism efforts across Afghanistan.
Specific steps that the study urges American policymakers to consider include: targeting with lethal action in Afghanistan groups that are involved in plots against the U.S. homeland and interests; employing shows of force through drones against Taliban leaders and personnel assisting terrorist groups such as al Qaeda; offering counterterrorism assistance to Pakistan, but also communicating to Pakistani leaders that if terrorists based in or backed by Pakistan carry out attacks in India, there would be serious negative repercussions for bilateral ties; and to prepare “contingency plans for handling terrorist attacks in the homeland and overseas against major allies and partners such as India.” Army whistleblower who exposed alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan is sentenced to prison (AP)
AP [5/14/2024 3:31 AM, Rod McGuirk, 456K, Neutral]
An Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison on Tuesday for leaking to the media classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.
David McBride, 60, was sentenced in a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret. He had faced a potential life sentence.
Justice David Mossop ordered McBride to serve 27 months in prison before he can be considered for release on parole.
Rights advocates argue that McBride’s conviction and sentencing before any alleged war criminal he helped expose reflected a lack of whistleblower protections in Australia.
McBride’s lawyer Mark Davis said he planned to file an appeal against the severity of the sentence.
McBride addressed his supporters as he walked his dog to the front door of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to be sentenced.“I’ve never been so proud to be an Australian as today. I may have broken the law, but I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe,” McBride told the cheering crowd.
McBride’s documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. seven-part television series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations including Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killing unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013.
Police raided the ABC’s Sydney headquarters in 2019 in search of evidence of a leak, but decided against charging the two reporters responsible for the investigation.
In sentencing, Mossop said he did not accept McBride’s explanation that he thought a court would vindicate him for acting in the public interest.
McBride’s argument that his suspicions that the higher echelons of the Australian Defense Force were engaged in criminal activity obliged him to disclose classified papers “didn’t reflect reality,” Mossop said.
An Australian military report released in 2020 found evidence that Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians. The report recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigation.
Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator, an Australian investigation agency established in 2021, to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz last year became the first of these veterans to be charged with a war crime. He is accused of shooting dead a noncombatant man in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012
Also last year, a civil court found Australia’s most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith had likely unlawfully killed four Afghans. He has not been criminally charged.
Human Rights Watch’s Australia director Daniela Gavshon said McBride’s sentencing was evidence an Australia’s whistleblowing laws needed exemptions in the public interest.“It is a stain on Australia’s reputation that some of its soldiers have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, and yet the first person convicted in relation to these crimes is a whistleblower not the abusers,” Gavshon said in a statement.“David McBride’s jail sentence reinforces that whistleblowers are not protected by Australian law. It will create a chilling effect on those taking risks to push for transparency and accountability – cornerstones of democracy,” she added.
Some lawmakers from minor parties and independents raised McBride’s sentencing in Parliament on Tuesday.
Greens lawmaker Elizabeth Watson-Brown told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that McBride had been imprisoned for the “crime of telling the truth about war crimes.”“Why won’t your government admit that our whistleblower laws are broken and commit to urgent reform to keep whistleblowers like Mr. McBride out of jail?” Watson-Brown asked the prime minister.
Albanese suggested his answer might prejudice McBride’s appeal.“I’m not going to say anything here that interferes with a matter that is quite clearly going to continue to be before the courts,” Albanese told Parliament.
Andrew Wilkie, a former government intelligence analyst whistleblower who’s now an independent lawmaker, said Australian governments “hate whistleblowers.”“The government wanted to punish David McBride and to send a signal to other insiders to stay on the inside and to stay silent,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie quit his intelligence job in Australia’s Office of National Assessments days before Australian troops joined U.S. and British forces in the 2003 Iraq invasion.
He publicly argued that Iraq didn’t pose sufficient threat to warrant invasion and that there was no evidence linking Iraq’s government to al-Qaida. Pakistan
Pakistan, US discuss how to tackle the regional security threat posed by IS group and local Taliban (AP)
AP [5/13/2024 2:17 PM, Staff, 22K, Negative]
Pakistani and U.S. officials have held their latest talks in Washington on how to expand cooperation in tackling the threat posed to regional security by an affiliate of the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Monday.A joint statement said Pakistani diplomat Haider Shah and the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism, Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, chaired the weekend talks.The talks occurred amid a surge in militants attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and an Afghan branch of the Islamic State group. The TTP is an ally of the Afghan Taliban that seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.Pakistan’s military recently said a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in March was planned in Afghanistan and that the bomber was an Afghan citizen. Kabul has denied the charge. Pakistan, US discuss how to counter Afghan-based IS and TTP terrorists (VOA)
VOA [5/13/2024 7:47 PM, Ayaz Gul, 761K, Neutral]
The United States and Pakistan have concluded their latest round of counterterrorism talks, agreeing to intensify their collaboration in the fight against terrorist organizations like the Pakistani Taliban and a regional Islamic State affiliate.
Washington and Islamabad issued a joint statement simultaneously on Monday, saying the May 10 bilateral dialogue hosted by the U.S. was centered on tackling “the most pressing challenges to regional and global security.”
The meeting came amid a recent surge in terrorism in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including security forces. The violence is mostly claimed by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, who are believed to operate from sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan.“Pakistan and the United States recognize that a partnership to counter ISIS-Khorasan, TTP, and other terrorist organizations will advance security in the region and serve as a model of bilateral and regional cooperation to address transnational terrorism threats,” the statement read.
The statement used an acronym for an Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate known as IS-Khorasan, which routinely carries out terrorist attacks in the country and beyond its borders.
Pakistani and U.S. officials at Friday’s talks in Washington resolved to step up communication and continue collaboration “to detect and deter violent extremism through whole-of-government approaches.”
According to the statement, the two sides stressed the importance of capacity building, including sharing technical expertise and best practices, providing investigative and prosecutorial assistance and enhancing border security infrastructure and training.
Islamabad maintains that TTP-led terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil have intensified since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces after a 20-year counterterrorism mission.
Pakistani authorities allege that members of the Afghan Taliban are facilitating TTP fighters in carrying out cross-border attacks.
The Taliban government in Kabul denies the allegations, saying it is not allowing anyone to threaten other countries, including Pakistan, from Afghan soil.
In a new report slated for release on Tuesday, the U.S. Institute of Peace has warned that Afghanistan “presents growing space for terrorist groups compared to the period before the U.S. withdrawal.”
USIP published a summary of the study on its website, noting that ISIS-K poses “a rising threat with reach beyond the immediate region, greater than during the pre-withdrawal period,” and the TTP "has also returned as a regional security threat.”
The report also stated that al-Qaida and its South Asia affiliate “continue to maintain ties with and receive support” from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. Violent Unrest Over Economic Strife Erupts in Pakistan’s Kashmir Region (New York Times)
New York Times [5/13/2024 4:14 PM, Salman Masood, 831K, Negative]
Vast protests have broken out in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, driven by outrage over soaring electricity bills and flour prices in a region that has long suffered economically because of its status as a conflict zone.
In an attempt to quell the growing unrest — which has led to a widespread strike and left one police officer dead and 90 injured — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called an emergency meeting for Monday in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.
As protesters planned to march this week to Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, the authorities suspended internet service in many areas and shut down schools in the city.“I have never seen such a large-scale uprising in Pakistan-administered Kashmir,” said Mubashar Naqvi, a Muzaffarabad resident and a teacher at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “This protest is unique because it unites people from all walks of life in demanding basic necessities.”
The picturesque but highly militarized Himalayan region of Kashmir, claimed by both Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947, has been the site of three wars between the estranged neighbors.
The current unrest poses a challenge for the Pakistani military, which maintains a heavy presence in the region, and the civilian leadership in Islamabad. Pakistan regards Kashmir as a disputed territory whose status should be resolved through a United Nations-mandated referendum to allow Kashmiris to choose between being part of Pakistan or India.
But the Pakistani government has faced criticism for suppressing local movements seeking complete independence. Although there have been no calls for independence in the current wave of unrest, residents said the protests reflected a general feeling of dissatisfaction.“There’s a strong sense of anger and frustration among the Kashmiri youth, driven by political disappointment, high inflation and severe unemployment,” Mr. Naqvi said.
The unrest began on Friday when an activist group made up largely of traders initiated a strike in Muzaffarabad that soon led to violent clashes with law enforcement officers. The detention of Kashmiri activists in overnight raids had fueled the call for a strike.
The Kashmiri authorities have urged protesters not to resort to violence. Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, a local government minister, said that a plan to send in paramilitary troops was withdrawn as talks with the protesters continued.
But the real solution, he said, lay with national Pakistani officials. “The big demand of the people, the demand for cheap electricity and the end of power outages, falls under the jurisdiction of the government of Pakistan,” Mr. Rathore said.
The region depends heavily on government jobs and receives little private investment because of its status.
As the protests entered their third day, the streets of Muzaffarabad were quiet on Sunday. Security forces, identified by their black bandannas, were a stark presence at checkpoints. Residents watched from behind closed windows, their daily routines disrupted and their supplies dwindling.
To ease the hardship, protest organizers said essential shops could open for three hours each evening. Ayesha Bibi, 34, a Muzaffarabad resident, expressed her distress over her young child’s needs.“She hasn’t had milk for two days,” Ms. Bibi said. “We can bear hunger, but denying us basic services like affordable electricity and wheat flour is unbearable.”
Siddique Haidari, 68, another resident, lamented the widespread damage caused by the clashes. “Every home here shows the damage,” he said. Protesters call off march in Pakistan’s Kashmir after demands met (Reuters)
Reuters [5/14/2024 2:37 AM, Tariq Maqbool, 5.2M, Neutral]
An alliance of civil rights group on Tuesday called off a protest march in Pakistan-ruled Kashmir after several days of clashes over high prices in which four people have been killed and over 100 injured, officials said.
Protesters called off the march a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a grant of 24 billion rupees ($86 million) to help meet most of their demands, which included subsidies on flour and electricity prices.
The alliance’s head, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, announced the decision in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of the scenic Himalayan region.
"The government has accepted all of our demands," he said, calling on protesters to return to their homes and businesses.
Mir also demanded the government give financial compensation for the families of three protesters and a police official who were killed in the violence.
The protesters were killed on Monday evening after paramilitary troops opened fire when they were attacked, said local government official Adnan Khurshid. The police official died in clashes over the weekend.
Kashmir’s Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Chaudhry said late on Monday that the funds would help lower some prices in the region.
The subsidised rate for 40 kgs (88.2 lb) of flour will be 2,000 rupees, down from 3,100 rupees, he said. He also announced a substantial dip in the electricity prices.
The protests coincide with the visit of an International Monetary Fund mission to negotiate a new long-term loan with Islamabad.
The IMF has already warned that social tensions triggered by the high cost of living could weigh on policy implementation, adding that fiscal slippages could present a challenge for the government. IMF, Islamabad open talks for a new loan, says Pakistan finance ministry (Reuters)
Reuters [5/13/2024 1:24 PM, Asif Shahzad, 5239K, Neutral]
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission has opened discussions with Islamabad on a new loan programme, a Pakistan finance ministry statement said on Monday.The mission chief, Nathan Porter, met Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to "kick-start the discussions on further engagement with the fund."Aurangzeb informed the team of improvements in the macro-economic indicators over the course of the standby arrangement and underscored the government’s commitment to continue and expand the reform agenda, the ministry said.Pakistan is likely to seek at least $6 billion and request additional financing from the Fund under the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.Ahead of the discussions, the IMF has warned that downside risks for the Pakistani economy remained exceptionally high.The IMF team is visiting ahead of Islamabad’s annual budget-making process for the next financial year, which starts on July 1.Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion programme, which helped stave off sovereign default.Islamabad has stressed the need for a fresh, longer term programme.The South Asian nation’s $350 billion economy has stabilised after completing the standby arrangement, with inflation at around 17% in April from a record high of 38% last May.It is still dealing with a high fiscal shortfall. It has managed its external account deficit through import controls but at the expense of stagnating growth.The GDP growth is expected to be around 2% this year ending June 30 compared to negative growth last year. India
India inks 10-year deal to operate Iran’s Chabahar port (Reuters)
Reuters [5/13/2024 2:55 PM, Jayshree P Upadhyay, Sudipto Ganguly, Krishn Kaushik, Aditya Kalra, Shivam Patel, and Daphne Psaledakis, 293K, Positive]
India signed a 10-year contract with Iran on Monday to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar, the Narendra Modi-led government said, strengthening relations with a strategic Middle Eastern nation.India has been developing the port in Chabahar on Iran’s south-eastern coast along the Gulf of Oman as a way to transport goods to Iran, Afghanistan and central Asian countries, bypassing the port of Karachi and Gwadar in its rival Pakistan.U.S. sanctions on Iran, however, slowed the port’s development."Chabahar Port’s significance transcends its role as a mere conduit between India and Iran; it serves as a vital trade artery connecting India with Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries," India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in Tehran, after the signing of the agreement."This linkage has unlocked new avenues for trade and fortified supply chain resilience across the region."U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, asked about the deal, told reporters that U.S. sanctions on Iran remain in place and warned that Washington will continue to enforce them."Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran - they need to be aware of the potential risks that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions," Patel told reporters.The long-term deal was signed between Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and the Port & Maritime Organisation of Iran, authorities in both countries said.Under the agreement, IPGL will invest about $120 million while there will be an additional $250 million in financing, bringing the contract’s value to $370 million, said Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash.IPGL first took over operations of the port at the end of 2018 and has since handled container traffic of more than 90,000 TEUs and bulk and general cargo of more than 8.4 million tonnes, an Indian government official said.A total of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 2,000 tonnes of pulses have been shipped from India to Afghanistan through Chabahar Port, the official added."It will clear the pathway for bigger investments to be made in the port," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told reporters in Mumbai on Monday. Chabahar Port: US says sanctions possible after India-Iran port deal (BBC)
BBC [5/14/2024 3:31 AM, Meryl Sebastian, 14.2M, Neutral]
The US has warned of potential sanctions for any country considering business deals with Iran, hours after India signed a 10-year contract to operate a port with Tehran.
India had entered an agreement to develop the strategically important Chabahar port, close to Iran’s border with Pakistan, in 2016.
On Monday, it signed a long-term deal with Iran to develop it further.
India’s shipping minister called it a "historic moment in India-Iran ties".
But the move may not go down well with the US, which has imposed more than 600 sanctions on Iranian-related entities over the past three years.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, the country’s State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, when asked about the deal, that the US sanctions on Iran are still in place and that Washington would continue to enforce them.
"Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran - they need to be aware of the potential risks that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions," he said.
India has not responded to the statement yet.
India took over operations of the port at the end of 2018. The port opened a transit route for Indian goods and products to Afghanistan and Central Asia, avoiding the land route through Pakistan - neighbours India and Pakistan share a tense relationship.
So far, 2.5m tonnes of wheat and 2,000 tonnes of pulses have been shipped from India to Afghanistan through Chabahar port, officials say.
On Monday, India’s shipping ministry said that the Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and the Port & Maritime Organisation of Iran signed a long-term deal for the development of the port.
Under the agreement, IPGL will invest about $120 million with an additional $250 million in financing, bringing the contract’s value to $370 million, said Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the deal "will clear the pathway for bigger investments to be made in the port". 14 Killed as Storm Topples Huge Billboard in India (New York Times)
New York Times [5/14/2024 12:15 AM, Sameer Yasir, 831K, Negative]
Fourteen people were killed in a suburb of Mumbai, India’s financial capital, on Monday as strong winds from a storm caused the collapse of a huge billboard that officials said had been erected without permission.
At least 64 people were injured in the collapse, and rescue workers were searching for more survivors trapped under the debris on Tuesday morning.
Videos on social media showed the billboard shaking in the storm before falling on a gas station. An eyewitness, Sunil Gaikwad, said he and his wife had taken shelter with dozens of others in the gas station, on a busy road in the Ghatkopar area, when the rain and wind worsened.
Within minutes, he said, the billboard toppled onto the gas station and a parking area.“All of us were stuck for hours before people came and saved us,” Mr. Gaikwad said from a Mumbai hospital, where he was being treated for minor injuries. “It was like a huge building falling on top of us.”
Mumbai, home to more than 18 million people, is prone to severe flooding and rain-related accidents during the monsoon season, which runs roughly from June to September.
Last year, a landslide triggered by torrential rains killed at least 16 people in Maharashtra, the state that includes Mumbai. Across India, more than 2,000 people were killed last year because of floods and rain-related incidents during the monsoon season, according to data from India’s federal home ministry.
Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, ordered officials to check all billboard structures in Mumbai. His deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, said the government had opened an investigation into the collapse.
The rains on Monday were followed by dust storms. The authorities at the Mumbai airport said they had diverted more than a dozen inbound flights and suspended operations for more than an hour.
Though the rains brought some relief from the sweltering heat, many parts of the city were inundated, and there were large traffic jams. At least 14 killed after billboard collapses in Mumbai during thunderstorm (Reuters)
Reuters [5/14/2024 2:23 AM, Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Rajendra Jadhav, 6098K, Negative]At least 14 people died and 75 others were injured after a billboard bigger than an Olympic swimming pool fell on them during a thunderstorm in India’s financial capital Mumbai, authorities said on Tuesday, with dozens still feared trapped.Videos showed the towering hoarding billowing in the wind before collapsing on houses and a fuel station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar on Monday as a dust storm and rain lashed the city in the evening, bringing traffic to a standstill and disrupting flights at Mumbai airport.Mumbai’s municipal corporation (BMC) said at least 75 injured people were taken to hospitals following the accident and 31 have been discharged.The agency owning the billboard did not have a permit from the BMC to put up the hoarding, the municipal body said in a statement. The hoarding measured about 1,338 square metres (14,400 square feet), it said, bigger than an Olympic pool’s 1,250 sq m and nine times more than the maximum permitted size for a hoarding.The BMC said it has instructed the agency to remove all its hoardings immediately."To prevent such accidents from happening again, instructions have been given to conduct a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai and immediately take down dangerous ones," Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said in a post on X.About 25 people and some cars were still trapped under the crumpled hoarding, said a BMC official, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.Officials from fire services, police, disaster response and other authorities continued rescue operations that were taking longer because gas cutters could not be used at the site due to the presence of the fuel pump. Myanmar refugees in India fear more arrests, deportations (VOA)
VOA [5/13/2024 9:15 AM, Zsombor Peter, 761K, Negative]
Refugees from Myanmar seeking shelter from their country’s grinding civil war in neighboring India tell VOA they fear a wave of arrests and forced returns following the Manipur state government’s recent moves to start deporting them.Earlier this month, on May 2, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh announced the deportation of 77 “illegal immigrants from Myanmar” on his social media page, calling it the “first phase.”In comments on social media again last Wednesday, the chief minister said the process of deporting some 5,400 more “illegal immigrants” was “underway.”The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, says nearly 60,000 refugees have fled to India since Myanmar’s military toppled the country’s democratically elected government and seized power in 2021, setting off a bloody civil war that has claimed thousands of lives.The refugees are spread across three provinces in India’s far east on the border with Myanmar, but authorities in Manipur have taken the most aggressive steps to send them back. Officials there blame the refugees for fueling the state’s own spate of deadly communal clashes over the past year.India does not officially recognize refugees and has not signed the U.N. refugee convention.Refugees in Manipur say the recent deportations have put them on edge. Some have begun to relocate to avoid the government’s anticipated dragnet.“That is the very thing we are afraid of. That’s why … we moved here to another border village, because we are afraid of the Manipur government,” said Seithang Haokip, speaking with VOA by phone from a hiding place a few kilometers from the border.“All of us are very afraid of both sides, from both sides, of being arrested by the Manipur government and by the Myanmar military regime,” he said.Seithang Haokip said he crossed into India illegally about two years ago from Myanmar’s Chin state, where he had joined a nationwide civil disobedience movement and was helping lead local strikes against the regime.He and others say they fear for their lives if they were to be arrested and returned to Myanmar.“They [the Myanmar military] already opened many files on me, so military junta already wanted me, so definitely they will arrest me and they will put [me] in jail for long time, or they can maybe kill me,” said Myo, another refugee from Myanmar who is in hiding near the border. Myo asked that his full name not be used for his safety.Myo told VOA that he also crossed into India illegally a few years ago after joining Myanmar’s civil disobedience movement. He and his wife and son now share a small hut with two other families. He said they all have been on constant alert since the news of the recent deportations.“When we hear [sounds] of truck or car or police or army coming around us, we are ready to run away or hide, so this kind of fear every day,” said Myo.“We all feel like that. This is a signal that we are no more safe in India,” he said.Right groups say their fears are well founded.United Nations investigators have accused Myanmar’s junta of widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the rape, torture and murder of both civilians and rebel fighters in detention. They say indiscriminate air and artillery attacks against the resistance have razed whole villages. Some 2.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting inside Myanmar itself, according to the U.N.In April, the junta also began enforcing a years-old conscription law that requires all men between the ages of 18 and 35 serve at least two years and banned military-age men from leaving the country.At 31, Salai Dokhar, another refugee, said he could be forced to fight for a military he loathes and ordered to kill his fellow countrymen if sent back to Myanmar. Even in the relative safety of New Delhi, India’s sprawling capital, more than 2,000 kilometers from the border, he said he too has a growing fear of being arrested and deported.“I stay home. Except for emergency issues I never go out. We have to hide ourselves from the authorities to [not] be arrested,” Salai Dokhar said.“Most of the people who entered to India are not safe in the hands of the [Myanmar] military, including me,” he added.With the civil war in Myanmar still raging, Human Rights Watch says Indian authorities should allow the refugees to stay until they feel ready to return on their own.“Conditions are extremely dangerous for civilians in many parts of Myanmar, where there is an ongoing armed conflict. Many civilians have been forced to flee to seek safety in India,” Meenakshi Ganguly, the group’s deputy Asia director, told VOA.“The Indian authorities should protect their rights,” she added. “Although India has not signed the refugee convention, it is still obliged to not forcibly return refugees to Myanmar when there are such extreme risks to life and liberty.”In a statement last week, the International Commission of Jurists said India was bound by other conventions it has signed to not force people back to countries where they are likely to be in danger. The commission has also urged Indian authorities to stop the deportations.Refugees say they believe authorities in Manipur are currently holding well over 100 people from Myanmar in detention centers and fear that any day they may be the next to be deported.The state government and chief minister of Manipur did not reply to VOA’s requests for an interview or for comment.Refugees and rights groups say the state’s deportation drive is political, motivated by a bid for votes by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a nationwide general election that started in April and runs until June.Biren Singh, a member of the Hindu nationalist BJP, has blamed the refugees for stoking the communal clashes that have torn through Manipur since May 2023, pitting the majority and predominantly Hindu Meitei against the minority Kuki, who are mostly Christian. The Kuki are also kin to the ethnic Chin of western Myanmar, who make up many of the refugees in Manipur.“Unfortunately, the refugees from Myanmar are being used by the ruling Biren Singh government in Manipur, and his BJP party, to stoke communal divisions. For petty political gains, the Biren Singh administration has created rifts between communities that will take a long time to heal, with hundreds killed and tens of thousands displaced,” said Ganguly.“They detain the Myanmar refugees to play their political games in general election,” echoed Salai Dokhar, an ethnic Chin himself. “We are in a political game, for sure.” Prime Minister Modi files his nomination to run for a third term in India’s general election (AP)
AP [5/14/2024 3:10 AM, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Bisajeet Banerjee, 456K, Neutral]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination on Tuesday to run for a third term in India’s general election in the northern city of Varanasi.
Modi hopes to retain his seat in the holy Hindu city, his constituency, from where he ran and won, first in 2014 and then again in 2019.India’s gigantic, six-week long general election began in April, with voting set to go on until June 1 before votes are counted on June 4. Nearly 970 million people are eligible to vote, making this the world’s largest democratic election.
Most polls show Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party are leading in the race for seats in the lower house of parliament over their main challenger, a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and powerful regional parties. The alliance has not yet announced its candidate for prime minister.
Modi is considered a champion of the country’s Hindu majority, who make up 80% of India’s 1.4 billion population. He has overseen rapid economic growth during his 10 years in power and his supporters credit him with improving India’s global standing.
But critics say he’s also undermined India’s democracy and its status as a secular nation with attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country’s minorities, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media. And his political opponents have raised questions over his government’s economic record, pointing to high unemployment and inflation despite strong growth.
Ahead of filing his nomination, Modi led a roadshow in the city on Monday, drawing thousands of supporters.
They cheered “Hail Modi!” as his car made its way through the streets, where BJP supporters wearing saffron caps and waving party flags greeted him. Rose petals rained down on the prime minister as he smiled at the crowds. Some onlookers were perched atop buildings to catch a glimpse of the procession.
The constituency of Varanasi, with around 1.7 million voters, will go to the polls on June 1. Modi, who is expected to hold on to his seat, is up against Ajai Rai, who is representing the regional Samajwadi Party, which is in alliance with the opposition Congress party in the state. Also in the fray is Athar Jamal Lari from the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The holy city is located on the banks of the revered Ganges River and is part of Uttar Pradesh state, India’s most populous, with around 200 million people.
It is an especially crucial state in Indian elections as it sends the largest number of MPs to Parliament, and has voted for Modi’s BJP in the last two elections. Kashmir’s Srinagar votes in large numbers in first election since 2019 (Reuters)
Reuters [5/13/2024 10:37 AM, Fayaz Bukhari, 5239K, Negative]
Voters in the main Indian Kashmir city of Srinagar turned out in large numbers in national elections on Monday, reversing the trend of abysmally low vote counts in the first polls since Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019.Srinagar is the first of the Himalayan region’s three seats to vote, and saw a turnout of almost 36% until 5 p.m., according to the Election Commission - more than double the 14.43% recorded in the last polls in 2019 but lower than the national average of about 62%.Roiled by a 35-year insurgency against Indian rule that has killed tens of thousands, the turnout in past elections was also impacted by boycott calls and threats of militant attacks.With Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) skipping elections in Kashmir for the first time since 1996 saying it will support regional parties instead, the main players are the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party which have focused on restoration of semi-autonomy in their campaigns.Kashmir is disputed between India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region of Jammu, and Pakistan, which controls a wedge of territory in the west. China holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in the north.Apart from the issue of semi-autonomy, voters also said they were considering soaring prices and joblessness while casting their ballots - running themes among voters across the country."There are other issues which people are facing right now, there is poverty, unemployment," said 50-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, who voted for the first time in three decades on Monday.Rafiqa, 56, said she was seeking a change in government since "our children are jobless", an issue reiterated by first time voter Rabia Akhtar, who said "a change of government" was also the determining factor in her vote.Bashir Ahmad Lala, 67, who was voting for the first time in two decades, was among those focusing on Modi’s decision to split Jammu and Kashmir into two federally administered territories - a move the prime minister says brought "normalcy" to the region."I voted just to get relief from what we are facing here," he said.The government’s 2019 decision was followed by a harsh lockdown on Kashmir at the time, with several major opposition leaders also held in custody for months.Although restrictions on people’s movement have been relaxed since, there are still tens of thousands of troops deployed in the valley, and military data indicates more than 100 militants continue to be active in the region.Analysts and opposition parties say the BJP is not contesting elections in Kashmir because it fears the outcome will contradict its narrative of a more peaceful and integrated region since 2019.Opposition leaders have also accused Modi’s administration of denying or cancelling permission to hold campaign events in the run-up to voting. ‘Pressured to withdraw’: BJP accused of intimidation tactics in India polls (The Guardian)
The Guardian [5/13/2024 10:00 PM, Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Aakash Hassan, 12.5M, Negative]
When the people of Gujarat cast their votes last week in India’s six-week-long election, there was one constituency in the state that stood silent. There were no polling stations or impatient queues of people, and no one with the tell-tale inky finger. In Surat, no voting was necessary – the outcome was already decided.
Mukesh Dalal, from the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), won the seat by default after every other candidate was either disqualified or dropped out of the race. It was the first time in 73 years that Surat’s candidate was appointed, not elected.
Surat is not the only constituency in Gujarat to witness swathes of candidates going up against the BJP suddenly withdrawing from the race. In Gandhinagar, where Amit Shah, the home minister and prime minister Narendra Modi’s right-hand man, is running, 16 opposition candidates dropped out before last Tuesday’s voting.
Gujarat is likely to be an easy win for the BJP in the election, which is also expected to return Modi to power for a third term. It is Modi’s home state and the stronghold of his party, which has won every state election here since 1995, and in the last general election in 2019 won all 26 seats.
Yet some have alleged that there have been concerted efforts to cement BJP hegemony in the state and declare wins by huge margins by eliminating the opposition altogether. In Gandhinagar, the BJP is publicly aiming for Shah to win the seat by an unprecedented 1 million votes.
In Surat and Gandhinagar, opposition parties and activists have accused the BJP of undermining democratic processes by using party workers and police to intimidate and put pressure on opposing candidates to withdraw, sometimes with explicit threats of violence or direct harassment of their families. The BJP district and state spokespeople refused to comment. Gujarat’s director general of police, Vikas Sahay, and the home minister, Shah, also did not respond.
Among those who withdrew in Surat was Baraiya Ramesh, 58, who has his own textile business and was running as an independent candidate. He alleged that after submitting his nomination, he began to face a campaign of intimidation.“I was threatened by the police and pressured to withdraw,” said Ramesh. “Everyone in Surat knows how every candidate was harassed and pressure was put on them to not fight the elections.”
Fearing the threats, he turned his phone off, but as soon as he turned it back on, he claims he was traced by police and picked up. “They clearly told me to withdraw the nomination, so I did,” he said, adding that he feared for his safety but said it was important that he spoke out publicly. “Most of the candidates were threatened by the police.”
In Gandhinagar, five opposition candidates alleged threats in the buildup to campaigning, and 16 ultimately withdrew. Hours before voting began in Gandhinagar, Jitendra Chauhan, 39, who was running as a candidate for the Akhil Bhartiya Parivar party, posted a video on social media. Through sobs, he alleged he was forced to withdraw.
Chauhan previously worked for the BJP between 2012 and 2019, but told the Guardian he had become disillusioned with the party and had decided to run against Shah to fight for local issues. It was a decision he said that had “made my life hell”.“As soon as I decided to submit my nomination, the police started following me everywhere,” he said. “Then, on 16 April, when I submitted my nomination papers, I started receiving threats from BJP workers. A BJP legislator threatened to jail me in some fake case.”
With every passing day, Chauhan said the threats got worse. “People would call me, come to my house, and give me an ultimatum to withdraw. Then the police started harassing my friends,” he said. “I felt so threatened that I had to withdraw my nomination.”
One candidate, Sumitra Maurya, 43, a schoolteacher, who contested elections for the first time with the Prajatantra Aadhar party, said she had refused to be cowed by the campaign of “unpleasant and frightening” intimidation that began from the moment she submitted her nomination for Gandhinagar in April.“I was well aware of who I was fighting against – the man who is India’s home minister, a political heavyweight,” she said. “But I am a firm believer in the power of democracy.”
Initially, it started with a visit to Maurya’s home from unknown men, then constant calls to her and her husband, questioning why she was running. WhatsApp messages saying “offer”, “call me,” and “it is urgent” began to flood in, and then relatives began to call, asking her to withdraw.
Fearing the threats, she travelled with her family about 200 miles out of the city. But after they checked into their hotel, there was a knock on the door, and several men in plain clothes stood outside, asking to speak to her husband. As Maurya confronted the men, they eventually revealed they were from the crime branch of police who said they were under a lot of pressure from their seniors.
Through the hotel window, Maurya could see the men roaming around the property throughout the night and she claims two cars followed them when they drove back the next morning. She still refused to remove her name from the ballot.“They want to create an example so that people like me think a hundred times before even thinking about contesting.”
Voting in Gandhinagar was also mired in allegations of widespread irregularities. In one video that emerged, Muslims – who are unlikely to support the BJP – appear to be being passed cash to pretend they had cast their votes.
Multiple polling agents told the Guardian they had witnessed Muslim voters being coerced or threatened into not voting and there are several videos that appear to show outsiders being brought in to illegally cast votes in the place of absentees. At least one booth in the constituency has been ordered to redo the polling.“Throughout the campaigning and on the polling day, the police and local administration worked together with BJP workers to scare our workers and people who they thought would vote against the BJP,” said Sonal Patel, 64, the candidate for the opposition Congress party in Gandhinagar, who remained in the race.
Patel also accused BJP workers of trying to pay off and blackmail Congress candidates and workers into switching sides and said she was repeatedly prevented from campaigning. “This has all been done because they want to win by the highest margin,” she said.
Several candidates and human rights activists submitted complaints to the election commission – the body overseeing the polls which stands accused of being co-opted by the BJP government – and also requested extra police presence on polling day, but got no formal response. The local election commission did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Shabnam Hashmi, an activist who was on the ground, also submitted complaints to the election commission. “I have seen harassment and intimidation and manipulation in elections before, but never on this scale and never with the full state machinery behind it,” said Hashmi. “It was unprecedented and very unfortunate for our democracy.” NSB
Donald Lu arrives in Dhaka (The Business Standard)
The Business Standard [5/14/2024 12:08 AM, Staff, Neutral]
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived in Dhaka this morning (14 May), sources at the US Embassy said.
He arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit after visiting India and Sri Lanka as part of his six-day tri-nation tour of the region, which started on 10 May.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud earlier said issues related to visa policy and Dhaka’s call for the withdrawal of sanctions may be discussed during Lu’s visit.
As per the US Department of State, Lu will conclude his tri-nation trip in Dhaka. He will meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis to discuss Bangladesh-US cooperation, including addressing the climate crisis and deepening economic ties.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh maintains excellent relations with the US and they will work together to take the relations further.
"Whoever visits Bangladesh from the US administration, we will work together to advance our relationship. There are economic relations and we have cooperation in various fields."
After the 7 January national election, the US in a statement on 8 January said, "Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties."
In February this year, Eileen Laubacher, special assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council; Michael Schiffer, USAID assistant administrator, Bureau for Asia; and Afreen Akhter, US Department of State deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, paid a three-day visit to Bangladesh.
"There is willingness from both sides. Together, we want to create a new chapter in our relations," Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters after his meeting with the US delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time. Sri Lanka cabinet approves new economic law to meet IMF targets (Reuters)
Reuters [5/13/2024 3:58 AM, Uditha Jayasinghe, 5.2M, Neutral]
Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a new economic law that will cover key targets set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the cabinet spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka plunged into its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades after its foreign exchange reserves sank to record lows in 2022 pushing the country to default on its foreign debt.
But the island nation has seen its economy improve after a $2.9 billion bailout was approved by the IMF last April and is expected to grow by 3% this year.
The new Economic Transformation bill will legalise multiple targets set under the IMF programme, including a goal to reduce the debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to 95% by 2030, and reduce debt servicing costs to 4.5% of GDP, the spokesperson said.
"This law is to ensure that Sri Lanka continues on this path to recover from the crisis and also implement larger reforms to grow consistently," Cabinet spokesman and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana told reporters at the weekly Cabinet briefing.
Sri Lanka will hold its presidential elections before mid-October and opposition parties have said they could relook current government policies on taxation and IMF programme targets if they win.
The bill will be presented to parliament for approval in the coming months, Gunawardana said. Sri Lanka travel visa costs doubled to $100 last month. The reason for the hike is disputed (CNBC)
CNBC [5/14/2024 2:26 AM, Monica Pitrelli, 6.8M, Neutral]
The cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100 in April.
But the reason for it is disputed.
The price hike followed Sri Lanka’s transition from using internal Electronic Travel Authorizations, or ETAs, to an e-visa system operated by the visa processing company VFS Global.
Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minster Harin Fernando blamed a “technical issue,” telling CNBC Thursday that VFS Global “missed out” on offering 30-day visas when it starting processing visas to the country on April 17.
In response, VFS Global said, “Visa categories were introduced as per the directives of [Sri Lanka’s] Department of Immigration and Emigration (DI&E).”
Both parties agreed that 30-day travel visas priced at $50 had been reinstated as of May 7. VFS Global, in an email sent to CNBC Monday, said that on this date “the DI&E re-introduced the 30-day visa category for all nationalities.”
Another issue: VFS Global’s fees
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security moved away from its ETA system because of concerns over frequent hacking of the website by scammers, Fernando said.“We wanted to go for a global company which is very reputed,” he said.
VFS Global stood out among the options, he said. The company works with 67 governments and operates in more than 150 countries, according to its website.
But VFS Global’s fees angered many in Sri Lanka’s travel industry and led to allegations of corruption by Sri Lankan opposition leaders.
The fees — which total some $25 per visa, according to local media — had been disclosed via a contract signed with Sri Lanka’s immigration authority on Dec. 21, 2023, a spokesperson from VFS Global told CNBC.“Service fee charges are approved by all Governments and are determined based on various factors such as scope of the overall engagement, volume of applications expected, resource and infrastructure costs required to fulfil the Service Level Agreements etc,” said VFS Global. “For example, in the case of Schengen countries, the service fee for short stay visa can go up to a maximum of 40 Euros.”
But these have been significantly reduced for 30-day visas, said Fernando. Now, Sri Lanka’s government keeps $40 and VFS Global charges $10, he said.‘Free visas’ come with charges
Citizens of seven countries are eligible for free visas to enter Sri Lanka.“It must be noted — that the 30-day, free visa for seven nationalities namely India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand were always available and is valid for travel into Sri Lanka up to 31 May 2024,” a VFS Global spokesperson said.
However, applicants from these countries still have to pay VFS Global’s fees, said Fernando. “The government of Sri Lanka won’t be charging, but the platform … will,” he said. As a result, “We’re still in debate, whether we should completely give up VFS.”
Sri Lanka’s “free visa” policy should not to be confused with the “visa-free” agreements enacted in the past year by many Asian countries. These agreements exempt travelers from needing a visa.
Under Sri Lanka’s policy, visas are required.
Sri Lanka is considering adding 60 more countries to its “free visa” list, said Fernando.“Pre-Covid, we had more than 40 countries on the free visa,” he said, adding that a committee appointed by the government will issue a decision within 30 days. “We will definitely have a visa policy in place very soon,” he said. Central Asia
A murder case in Kazakhstan led to domestic violence reforms. It ends with a prison sentence (AP)
AP [5/13/2024 9:42 AM, Staff, 456K, Neutral]
Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court on Monday convicted a former government official of torturing and murdering his wife and sentenced him to 24 years in prison in a case that has gripped the Central Asian nation.
During the trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economy minister, over the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, thousands of people urged the authorities to adopt harsher penalties for domestic violence. Authorities adopted a bill toughening spousal abuse laws.
Kazakhstan largely remains a patriarchal society, and progress has been slow on issues such as domestic violence, sexual harassment and disparities in employment.
Bishimbayev’s trial was the first in the country of over 19 million people to be streamed online, and debates about it dominated social media.
Nukenova, 31, was found dead in November in a restaurant owned by one of her husband’s relatives. The 44-year-old Bishimbayev maintained his innocence before admitting in court last month that he had beaten her and “unintentionally” caused her death. His lawyers initially disputed medical evidence indicating Nukenova died from blows to the head.
Bishimbayev’s relative, Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, was sentenced to four years in prison for helping Bishimbayev cover up the murder.
Days after Nukenova’s death, her relatives launched an online petition urging authorities to pass “Saltanat’s Law” to bolster protection for those at risk of domestic violence. It quickly got over 150,000 signatures. As the trial began, more than 5,000 Kazakhs wrote senators urging tougher laws on abuse, Kazakh media said.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly spoken about strengthening protections for women. In January, he intervened after the Justice Ministry refused to consider the petition by Nukenova’s family.
According to a 2018 study backed by UN Women, about 400 women die from domestic violence each year in Kazakhstan, although many cases go unreported.
In 2017, Kazakhstan decriminalized beatings and other acts causing “minor” physical damage, making them punishable only by fines or short jail terms. Kazakhstan has since reversed its law, increasing penalties for assailants and introducing new criminal offenses including harassment of minors.
Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev said that properly implementing the new law adopted in the wake of the trial will require “a great deal of work,” including educational campaigns in schools and the media as well as vigilance from civil society groups. Former Kazakh minister gets 24 years in prison for murdering his wife (Reuters)
Reuters [5/13/2024 2:40 PM, Tamara Vaal, 39236K, Neutral]
A former economy minister of Kazakhstan was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Monday for murdering his wife following a widely watched trial that some saw as a litmus test of the president’s promise to strengthen women’s rights.Kuandyk Bishimbayev, 44, was found guilty of torture and murder by the court.His trial, which has been broadcast live over the past seven weeks, has been widely regarded as an attempt by the authorities to send a message that members of the elite are no longer above the law.CCTV footage played during the trial showed Bishimbayev repeatedly punching and kicking his wife, 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova, and dragging her by her hair, near-naked, into a room where she later died.Videos were also found on Bishimbayev’s mobile phone in which he insulted and humiliated the visibly bruised and bloodied Nukenova over the final hours before she lost consciousness in the morning of Nov. 9, 2023.President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who replaced veteran Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev five years ago, has said he wants to build a fairer society including improved rights for women.The case has helped rally public support behind a law criminalising domestic violence, which parliament passed last month. Government data show that one in six women in Kazakhstan has experienced violence by a male partner.During the trial, Bishimbayev admitted to beating his wife, but said some of her injuries were self-inflicted. He denied torturing or planning to murder her.He served as the oil-rich nation’s economy minister from May-December 2016. He was convicted of bribery in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but walked free after less than three years thanks to an amnesty and parole. Kazakhstan: Former minister found guilty in high-profile murder case (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [5/13/2024 4:14 PM, Almaz Kumenov, 57.6K, Neutral]
In a landmark domestic violence case in Kazakhstan, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former government minister, received a 24-year prison sentence after being found guilty of beating his wife to death.
A jury delivered the verdict in an Astana court on May 13, during a hearing viewed by citizens nationwide via a live broadcast on YouTube. In addition to a lengthy prison term, Bishimbayev was ordered to pay court costs, estimated at over $5,000.
Bishimbayev had faced a potential life term after being found guilty of “murder committed with particular cruelty” and “torture.” One of Bishimbayev’s relatives, Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, received a 4-year sentence as an accessory to murder.
Bishimbayev, 44, was arrested in November in Astana after police discovered the dead body of his common-law wife, Saltanat Nukenova, 31, with signs of having suffered a severe beating. The day before, the couple spent the night in a restaurant owned by Bishimbayev. Video from a surveillance camera documented the crime.
The case riveted the nation. The trial was widely seen as a test case for the justice system in Kazakhstan: many citizens wondered whether justice would be served, or whether a former official would use his influence to escape punishment. Others saw it as a gauge of the government’s commitment to combating domestic violence.
Although the trial ended with a conviction, some observers expressed disappointment with the punishment. Zhanar Sekerbayeva, head of the Almaty-based women’s rights organization Feminita, contended that Bishimbayev deserved a life sentence. “Women continue to be beaten and killed in the regions today,” Sekerbayeva told Eurasianet. “We need to punish domestic violence as severely as possible so that domestic tyrants finally realize that they are committing a terrible crime.”
In April, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed amendments that tighten penalties for domestic violence. But Sekerbayeva is among those activists who argue that the legislative framework needs improvement.“There are still many people like Bishimbayev in the country, and we must declare an uncompromising war on them,” she said. Guilty Verdict in High-Profile Kazakhstan Domestic Violence and Murder Case (Human Rights Watch)
Human Rights Watch [5/13/2024 6:05 PM, Viktoriya Kim, 190K, Neutral]
A Kazakh court has delivered a guilty verdict in the high-profile trial of the country’s former economy minister, Kuandyk Bishimbayev. On May 13, the court found Bishimbayev guilty of the torment and murder with extreme cruelty of his partner Saltanat Nukenova and sentenced him to 24 years in a maximum-security prison. Murder with extreme cruelty carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, while torment carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
The prosecution presented evidence during the trial showing how Bishimbayev severely tormented Nukenova before she died of a traumatic brain injury and provided audio and video material, witness testimony, and forensic reports to convince the court of his guilt. Bishimbayev has 15 days to appeal the verdict from the day he formally receives it and should not be eligible for parole until 2040.
Saltanat Nukenova is just one of hundreds of women who suffer violence at the hands of their partners in Kazakhstan each year. The Prosecutor General’s office has estimated that about 80 women die annually from domestic violence in Kazakhstan, while 150 women sustain injuries amounting to grievous bodily harm and more than 4,000 incur light bodily harm.
Every woman or girl who is beaten or killed at the hands of abusive partners or within the family deserves justice, and Kazakhstan’s authorities should conduct thorough investigations into every case of family abuse and hold those responsible to account.
In June, a new law criminalizing ‘battery’ and ‘light bodily harm,’ dubbed as Kazakhstan’s “domestic violence law” or “Saltanat’s law,” named for Nukenova, will come into force. Its effective enforcement is crucial to ensuring other women in Kazakhstan do not suffer the same fate.
During the trial, which I followed, the defense made many statements blaming Nukenova for the violence she suffered. This victim-blaming is outrageous, but sadly not unusual in Kazakhstan. Nukenova’s horrific killing and the spectacle of Bishimbayev’s trial should prompt the authorities to introduce measures to prevent investigations and prosecutions of domestic violence cases from becoming spaces for victim-blaming and revictimization.
While Kazakhstan has yet to heed the calls of women’s rights activists and others to make domestic violence a discrete criminal offense, full implementation of recent changes to laws offers Kazakh officials a way to meaningfully tackle the scourge of domestic violence and take action to save the lives of Kazakh women. Kazakh Journalist Fined For Voicing Support For RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [5/13/2024 10:03 AM, Staff, 223K, Neutral]
A court in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, on May 13 fined journalist Zhamila Maricheva for an online article she wrote supporting RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, known locally as Radio Azattyq.The court ordered Maricheva to pay 73,840 tenges ($167) for "distributing false information."The charge stems from an article she posted on her ProTenge Telegram channel in January where she raised the issue of problems faced by Radio Azattyq in obtaining official accreditation from the Foreign Ministry, which had sparked fears the government was trying to stifle independent media.Maricheva praised Radio Azattyq for what she called its professionalism, stressing the importance of the broadcaster’s programs in Kazakhstan.Another Kazakh journalist, Askhat Niyazov, reposted Maricheva’s article at the time and was charged with slander.A court in late April acquitted Niyazov and closed the case, stressing that there was nothing criminal in Niyazov’s actions.Maricheva reiterated her innocence as her trial began on May 2 and stated that the police violated her rights on April 24 by detaining her for questioning while she was jogging instead of officially summoning her to a police station.Maricheva’s lawyer, Asel Toqaeva, asked the court to dismiss the case against her client, saying that Maricheva’s constitutional rights were violated by the police during her detention and questioning.In January 2023, the Foreign Ministry denied accreditation to 36 Radio Azattyq journalists. Some of the correspondents had not been able to extend their accreditation since late 2022.The situation was exacerbated when a group of Kazakh lawmakers approved a draft bill that would allow the tightly controlled former Soviet republic’s authorities to refuse accreditation to foreign media outlets and their reporters on grounds of national security.RFE/RL reached an agreement with the Kazakh Foreign Ministry over the accreditations on April 23. In Light of Photos, Kyrgyz Authorities Claim Detained Journalist Staged Her Own Bruises (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [5/13/2024 10:56 AM, Catherine Putz, 201K, Neutral]
In April, investigative journalist Bolot Temirov alleged that his wife, fellow journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, had been beaten in a pre-trial detention center in Kyrgyzstan. The state Penitentiary Service (INS) denied the allegation.On May 12, Temirov shared photos on Facebook depicting bruising to Tajikbek kyyz’s arm and face with the comment, “We received photographs of Makhabat after the beating by a pre-trial detention center officer Akylbek Ryskulov on April 5.” On May 13, he wished her a happy birthday, writing, “Your courage and integrity are enviable! You inspire me and many others not to give up and move forward!”Tajibek kyzy was among 11 journalists detained in Bishkek in January. The authorities, citing a “forensic linguistic examination” of Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese content, claim the published materials contain “calls for mass unrest.” The authorities have not offered specific details.At present, only Tajibek kyzy, Aktilek Kaparov, Aike Beyshekeeva, and Azamat Ishenbekov remain in detention while the remainder – Sapar Akunbekov, Akyl Orozbekov, Jumabek Turdaliev, Tynystan Asypbek, Zoodar Buzumov, Saipidin Sultanaliev, and Maksat Tazhibek uulu – have been released to house arrest. All of the detained journalists were either current or former employees of TemirovLive.TemirovLive is an investigative media outlet that produces YouTube reports focused on corruption in Kyrgyzstan. In November 2022, Temirov was deported from Kyrgyzstan to Russia after Kyrgyz authorities declared his Kyrgyz passport invalid. The deportation was the culmination of pressure on Temirov that escalated throughout 2022, including a drugs bust in January 2022 that saw Temirov and a poet detained, then released with charges pending. They were acquitted in September of the drugs charge. Each phase of pressure on Temirov conveniently coincided with additional airing of reports on corruption, often involving high-level state officials and their relatives. Even after being deported from Kyrgyzstan, Temirov and his outlet continued reporting, with his wife Tajibek kyz serving as director until her arrest in January.In April, the INS press secretary denied Temirov’s allegation that his wife had been beaten in the detention center, claiming instead that she had resisted the transfer of a fellow prisoner out of their shared cell. The press secretary suggested that the prisoners could have “hit the beds and walls, which is why marks were left on the body.” The INS official further noted in comments reported by RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service that prison staff do not have the right to beat prisoners and that since there is video surveillance, staff cannot even take swings at prisoners. No video of the altercation has been produced. If it exists, it may clarify matters. After Temirov shared the photographs of Tajibek kyzy’s bruises, the INS issued another denial. RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported that according to the INS, Tajibek kyzy and other prisoners “began to call for protests and disobedience of other female prisoners” and “showed insubordination” when a decision was made to transfer a prisoner out of their cell. The INS went on to suggest that Tajibek kyzy’s injuries “were inflicted on her by her cellmates at her own request for the purpose of staging beatings and cruel treatment.”Kyrgyzstan’s media environment is often discussed relative to that of other countries in Central Asia. In that light, Kyrgyzstan’s press is far more free and dynamic, but cases such as those pending against the TemirovLive staff demonstrate that even in Kyrgyzstan’s more dynamic media environment there are considerable risks and increasing pressure. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted, “A degree of pluralism exists, as seen in the popularity of news sites such as 24.kg, Kaktus.media and Kloop.kg, as well as the growth of investigative and data journalism. But these outlets are being harassed and, of late, their situation has become critical.” Twitter
Afghanistan
WHO Afghanistan@WHOAfghanistan
[5/13/2024 11:25 PM, 92.9K followers, 2 retweets, 11 likes]
Empowering frontline healthcare providers in #Afghanistan: @WHO has trained 100 medical professionals, including 50 women, from different provinces in Basic Emergency Care (BEC). This training equips them with essential skills to manage acute, life-threatening conditions.
WHO Afghanistan@WHOAfghanistan
[5/13/2024 6:37 AM, 92.9K followers, 1 retweet, 27 likes]
.@WHO’s response to the flooding emergency in Afghanistan is in full swing. Our team of national and international experts is on the ground in Baghlan province, working tirelessly to support health response.AAN Afghanistan@AANafgh
[5/13/2024 10:00 PM, 168.7K followers, 4 retweets, 4 likes]
Devastating #flooding in #Afghanistan has claimed 100s of lives and destroyed property and infrastructure. AAN’s @saidasadullah1 speaks to farmers in Zurmat about how they are coping with the aftermath of the most recent floods. #ClimateChange https://bit.ly/3ydKuunf Frud Bezhan@FrudBezhan
[5/13/2024 12:26 PM, 34.5K followers, 6 retweets, 5 likes]
Hundreds of people are dead and missing after flash floods ripped through northern #Afghanistan. "There’s nothing left after these floods," said one local. "If you look around, you will think that no one lived here." https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-baghlan-floods-humanitarian-crisis/32944567.html
Frud Bezhan@FrudBezhan
[5/13/2024 3:42 PM, 34.5K followers, 3 retweets, 8 likes]
#Afghanistan has witnessed several bouts of deadly protests against the Taliban in recent weeks. The protests in Badakhshan and Nangarhar provinces seem significant. They were spontaneous and appear to have exposed anger at Taliban’s unpopular policies and heavy-handed tactics
Frud Bezhan@FrudBezhan
[5/13/2024 3:46 PM, 34.5K followers, 1 retweet, 1 like]
The latest protest occurred today in Badakhshan, where locals rallied against the Taliban’s forceful eradication of opium poppy fields. At least two protesters appear to have been shot dead by the Taliban. Around a dozen wounded. Pakistan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan@ForeignOfficePk
[5/13/2024 10:48 AM, 476.8K followers, 32 retweets, 90 likes]
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today met with Chairman of Metallurgical Cooperation (MCC) and Vice President of Minmetals, Chen Jianguang, in Beijing, China. Deputy Prime Minister appreciated Minmetals and MCC’s support and contribution for executing important mining projects in Balochistan. He invited the two companies to establish processing plants in Balochistan to produce value-added mineral products for domestic consumption and exports to China.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan@ForeignOfficePk
[5/13/2024 9:03 AM, 476.8K followers, 26 retweets, 59 likes]
Mayor of Shoguang, Zhao Tianbao, today called on the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 in Beijing, China. The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s economic reform agenda and various investment opportunities in sectors like infrastructure, renewable energy, textiles, agriculture, IT, and mining. He invited Chinese companies to establish manufacturing units in Pakistan. Mayor Zhao Tianbao expressed commitment to enhance trade ties and collaboration in agriculture, mining, and energy between Shoguang and Pakistan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan@ForeignOfficePk
[5/13/2024 5:57 AM, 476.8K followers, 55 retweets, 112 likes]
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, @MIshaqDar50 held a meeting with Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Ambassador Zhang Ming in Beijing today. Deputy Prime Minister Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and objectives. He expressed Pakistan’s resolve to advance SCO’s security and development cooperation agenda. They also discussed Pakistan’s initiatives and contributions to SCO. Ambassador Zhang expressed support and best wishes to Pakistan during its tenure as the current Chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[5/14/2024 2:21 AM, 20.6M followers, 1.3K retweets, 1.8K likes]
Founding Chairman Imran Khan’s message from jail (13.05.2024) 1- It is the misfortune of this country that a self-proclaimed King has taken hold of all the decision making. When the government is given to people lacking democratic mandate, the country becomes an epicentre of corruption and chaos. The chaos that is seen in Kashmir today is likely to spread across Pakistan. Form 47 non-democratic governments have been established in the entire country. When a government is elected democratically, it is backed by the people. People value their elected government and if any issues arises, it is resolved through dialogue. On the contrary, people place no trust in the imposed governments in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Punjab and Pakistan; hence the widespread unrest and frustration. Further backlash will ensue against Form 47 governments when the budget is announced. Unfortunately, an artificial set-up has been imposed on the people in the country. Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar and Commissioner of Rawalpindi have exposed the true nature of this government. This government has absolutely no authority. An unconstitutional institution like SIFC has been imposed on Pakistan and no one dares to question. It was established with the sole purpose of bringing investments, while the Pakistan Business Council has openly stated that investors are withdrawing their investments instead of investing into the country. On the one hand, the nation was misled with the false hopes of the agricultural revolution and on the other hand, wheat importation to embezzle billions of rupees, has devastated the wheat farmer economically.
In this bogus setup, the government is given to those who have all their wealth lying outside in the form of dollars. A leader has to make sacrifices and this group of Nawaz and Zardari will not sacrifice under any circumstances nor will they bring their money back to the country. General Musharraf and later ISI provided details to everyone including me on their looted money and today they have been imposed on us and their corruption charges are being cleared. The purpose of imposing this fake system on the nation is only to increase the power of this one man who has destroyed the entire country for his personal power. The Hamudur Rahman Commission report had made it clear how one man, Yahya Khan, allowed the country to break up to increase his personal power. Every citizen should study the Hamudur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the traitor between Yahya Khan and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
I am currently in prison because if I am free, it will challenge the power of that one person. The way the chairman of Pakistan’s largest political party and Pakistan’s most awarded person was abducted from the High Court on May 9 morning was meant to provoke the people. Despite the video I posted that morning, clearly stating my willingness to cooperate if presented with an arrest warrant, the humiliating abduction was carried out without regard for this request. Prior to 9th May, on 25th May 2022, 3rd November 2022, 8th March 2023, 14th March 2023 and 18th March 2023, attempts were made to target me through brutal use of force against my party, however I and my party remained completely peaceful and continued to advance our legitimate and legal political struggle within the framework of the constitution and law.
DG ISPR and Chief of Army Staff are making threatening political statements and involving the army in politics which is tarnishing the image of the army. When political statements and press conferences are held, political parties have the right to respond to them. On the morning of May 9, my illegal abduction from the High Court was part of the London Plan, for which General Asim Munir should apologise to me. 1/2
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[5/14/2024 2:21 AM, 20.6M followers, 512 retweets, 782 likes]
No case can be as ridiculous and stupid as is Al-Qadir Trust case, because the money that was brought back to Pakistan is not only in the national treasury, but the government is also earning billions of rupees profit on it. This money was sent directly to the Supreme Court as a result of the agreement between Malik Riaz and the British National Crime Agency. Neither this money was declared the property of the state of Pakistan in any court nor was it declared a crime proceeding in any court.
According to the official data, from the end of 2019 to May 2023, the government of Pakistan has earned a profit of 13 billion 94 crore rupees on this money returned to the country, while the data of the profit earned from May 2023 onwards to date is yet to be released. Like Shaukat Khanum and Namal, Al Qadir Trust is not owned by me or my family nor have I personally benefited from it. The complete management and administration of Al-Qadir University, established on a desolate and desert land to provide free education to poor children on Islamic sciences and modern subjects, is under the responsibility of the trust, which is not owned by me or any of my family members. The motivations behind this absurd case are entirely political in nature. Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are not building trusts for public welfare, rather establishing their own empires, while the military occupied NAB waives proven cases against them and their children.
I have never seen a more shameless person than the Chief Election Commissioner who conducted the most rigged election in history, on which institutions like FAFEN and PILDAT gave their detailed observations and called these elections rigged. It was the responsibility of the Chief Justice and the Chief Election Commissioner to investigate the confessions made by Rawalpindi Commissioner and Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, but they themselves were part of the whole rigging, as a result, instead of the investigation, the Commissioner who gave the confessional statement disappeared.
Remember! This country is my country and I will never leave it. Moreover, any deal is also out of question. Pakistan is being run in a dictatorial manner. Our total revenue is 13.9 trillion rupees, while we have to pay 9.8 trillion rupees annually as interest. The country can never progress with such a punitive use of coercive measures. 2/2
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[5/13/2024 6:23 AM, 73.3K followers, 14 retweets, 101 likes]
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif resigns from his party’s internal position as President of PMLN paving way for the return of his brother, Former Premier Nawaz Sharif to take charge of political party’s matters. #Pakistan India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[5/13/2024 12:07 PM, 97.7M followers, 3.6K retweets, 21K likes]
Would especially like to applaud the people of Srinagar Parliamentary constituency for the encouraging turnout, significantly better than before. The abrogation of Article 370 has enabled the potential and aspirations of the people to find full expression. Happening at the grassroots level, it is great for the people of J&K, in particular the youth.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[5/13/2024 12:04 PM, 97.7M followers, 7.2K retweets, 51K likes]
I thank the people who have voted today. It is abundantly clear that the people’s mandate is with the NDA for a strong, stable and development oriented government. In every part of India, NDA candidates are securing massive support. INDI Alliance is not even in any discussion among people.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[5/13/2024 7:37 AM, 97.7M followers, 7.5K retweets, 28K likes]
Kashi is special... The warmth and affection of the people here is unbelievable!
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[5/13/2024 6:05 AM, 97.7M followers, 2.8K retweets, 15K likes]
At the Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib was honoured to receive a Samman Patra from the Gurudwara Committee and also a portrait of Mata Gujri Ji, a beacon of courage and sacrifice.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[5/13/2024 7:04 AM, 97.7M followers, 11K retweets, 42K likes]
A very special visit to Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib...At the place closely associated with Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, had the honour of Darshan of the Shastras used by him. Also performed Seva of Chaur Sahib, visited the Langar Kitchen and took Karah Prasad.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[5/13/2024 2:05 PM, 3.1M followers, 220 retweets, 1.8K likes]
A very productive day in Mumbai, interacting with investors, social media influencers, students and intellectuals. Stressed that in a turbulent and uncertain world, India needs a strong and experienced Government with the judgement and confidence to take the right calls. The last 10 years have laid the foundation for Viksit Bharat. Our choices now will ensure that we will progress towards that goal by 2047.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[5/13/2024 11:09 AM, 3.1M followers, 251 retweets, 1.1K likes]
India’s Vishwabandhu Approach to Global Relations. Speaking at the Constitution Club in Kandivali, Mumbai. https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1kvJpvREnrQKE
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[5/13/2024 9:18 AM, 3.1M followers, 121 retweets, 714 likes]
Navigating Global Shifts. Speaking at the Thakur College of Engineering and Technology, Kandivali East, Mumbai. https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1LyxBnLQRWMxN
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[5/13/2024 3:12 AM, 3.1M followers, 187 retweets, 857 likes]
Roadmap for Viksit Bharat Speaking at a seminar on Indian Capital Markets at NSE, Mumbai. https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1eaKbgAppkeGX
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[5/13/2024 11:34 PM, 210K followers, 53 retweets, 236 likes]
India’s deal with Iran on the Chabahar port is both a gamble and a smart diplomatic move. It may put India at some risk of US sanctions. But it also deals a blow to Beijing, which has grown closer to Iran in recent years and positioned itself to play a role in Chabahar.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[5/13/2024 11:34 PM, 210K followers, 3 retweets, 45 likes]
The India-Iran deal, much like India’s deal w/Russia on the S400 (which could well be used to strengthen India’s capacity to deter China), could actually-from the vantage of US-China competition-help advance US interests. But US hostile ties w/Iran and Russia loom so large here.
Husain Haqqani@husainhaqqani
[5/14/2024 12:56 AM, 460.8K followers, 33 retweets, 102 likes]
The U.S.-India partnership was never going to be easy. India values ‘strategic autonomy,’ the U.S. prefers ‘allies’ that follow its lead. NSB
Awami League@albd1971
[5/13/2024 10:07 AM, 637.8K followers, 27 retweets, 64 likes]
In the first 10 days of May, #Bangladesh expatriates have sent $81.37 crore in #remittances, reports Bangladesh Bank. Provisional data for the current fiscal show expatriates have sent home $15.078 billion. https://en.somoynews.tv/news/2024-05-12/81-37cr-remittances-received-in-10-days #RemittanceInflow
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[5/13/2024 5:24 AM, 53.9K followers, 45 retweets, 97 likes]
Government of India extends budget support to the Government of Maldives Press Release | https://t.ly/1glTC
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[5/13/2024 5:24 AM, 53.9K followers, 16 retweets, 28 likes]
Foreign Minister @MoosaZameer welcomes the decision of Government of #India for extending vital budgetary support to Maldives with the rollover of USD 50 million Treasury Bill.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[5/13/2024 5:24 AM, 53.9K followers, 8 retweets, 16 likes]
Minister Zameer extends appreciation to EAM @DrSJaishankar for this important gesture of goodwill which shows the vibrant nature of the strong ties between #Maldives and #India. @HCIMaldives @MEAIndia Central Asia
UNODC Central Asia@UNODC_ROCA
[5/14/2024 12:55 AM, 2.4K followers]
UNODC supports strengthening anti-corruption training curriculum of the Justice Academy in Kazakhstan through a training-of-trainers course. See highlights below. #AntiCorruption #Training https://twitter.com/i/status/1790259505592402083
Asel Doolotkeldieva@ADoolotkeldieva
[5/14/2024 2:28 AM, 14K followers, 6 likes]
Walking down streets in Bishkek, one sees indeed many people from South East Asia. I never thought Kyrgyzstan would become a host for labor migrants. I hope that having its own heavy record of out-migration, authorities will treat these newcomers humanly https://rus.azattyk.org/a/32937697.html
Asel Doolotkeldieva@ADoolotkeldieva
[5/13/2024 11:19 PM, 14K followers, 1 retweet, 13 likes]
Good that the killer Bishimbayev got his 24 years. But can we now focus on so many other femicide victims and political prisoners and ask for systematic court transparency and justice for them? One case can only be a show, a smoke screen to hide other critical social issues...
Joanna Lillis@joannalillis[5/13/2024 8:16 AM, 28.9K followers, 11 retweets, 44 likes]
Bishimbayev declared guilty of killing Saltanat Nukenova and sentenced to 24 years in prison #Kazakhstan
Joanna Lillis@joannalillis
[5/13/2024 3:50 AM, 28.9K followers, 30 retweets, 82 likes]
#Uzbekistan marks a tragic anniversary today: 19 years since the violent crushing of protests in #Andijan in 2005. For a nuanced view of what happened, read The Vanishing Generation by Bagila Bukharbayeva, one of the very few journalists who was on the ground{End of Report} To subscribe to the SCA Morning Press Clips, please email SCA-PressOfficers@state.gov. Please do not reply directly to this email.