SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Tuesday, November 26, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Russia pledges broader Afghanistan ties, says US should help rebuild (Reuters)
Reuters [11/25/2024 8:27 PM, Ron Popeski, 37270K, Neutral]
Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council, told Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders on Monday that Moscow wanted to help achieve a durable peace in the country, Russian news agencies reported.
Shoigu, a former defence minister, also said the U.S. should play a leading role in rebuilding Afghanistan in view of its many years of military involvement in the country.
Taliban leaders asked Shoigu to help them ease the pressure imposed by U.S. sanctions against the Kabul government, according to the Russian news agency reports.
Shoigu headed a Russian delegation that held talks with senior officials in Kabul, including deputy prime ministers and the defence and interior ministers.
"Let me confirm our readiness to establish a constructive political dialogue between our countries and among the goals would be providing an impulse for the process of a settlement among Afghans," the agencies quoted him as saying.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has prompted President Vladimir Putin to pivot towards Asia and the rest of the non-Western world amid what the Kremlin says amounts to an economic blockade by the U.S. and its European allies.
On Monday, Moscow said it will consider deploying short- and intermediate-range missiles in Asia if the U.S. deploys such missiles to the same region.
Shoigu said the U.S., which hurriedly withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in 2021 after 20 years of involvement, should take on the obligation of helping rebuild the country.
"Again we have the theme of the United States, which robs everyone around them," he was quoted as saying.
"We’re talking here about returning assets, funds which belong to Afghans and which, so it appears, they are not about to return, as in many other countries, like Libya and Syria. In my view, the United States should be the main entity to invest in the rebuilding of Afghanistan.".
Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, told Shoigu the Taliban administration needed Moscow’s help to ease the burden of Western sanctions.
"We have tried to ensure conditions for a growth in exports of Afghan goods and a growth in foreign investment," he was quoted as saying.
The U.S. and Western countries had applied pressure on the Taliban after it took control of Afghanistan in 2021, he said, referring to asset freezes and travel bans against Taliban leaders.
"We are therefore waiting for the Russian Federation to help us neutralise this pressure.".
SOVIET LEGACY IN AFGHANISTAN
Russia lives with the legacy of nine years of Soviet involvement in Afghanistan bolstering a government friendly to Moscow and resisting anti-communist guerrillas. About 15,000 Soviet troops died in the conflict.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said last month a decision had been taken to remove the Taliban from a list of terrorist organisations, but legal procedures need to be put in place.
Shoigu pointed to cooperation in extracting minerals as a prime example of proposed economic cooperation.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk told Taliban officials that Russia wanted to participate in a project to create a trans-Afghan railway. Russia security chief meets Taliban officials in Kabul (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [11/25/2024 4:27 PM, Staff, 88008K, Neutral]
Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu visited Afghan government officials on Monday, assuring them Moscow will soon remove the Taliban from its list of banned organisations, Kabul said.
Since the Taliban surged back to power in 2021 visits by foreign officials have been infrequent because no nation has yet formally recognised the government of the former insurgent group.
Taliban government curbs on women have made them pariahs in many Western nations but Kabul is making increasing diplomatic overtures to its regional neighbours, emphasising economic and security cooperation.
Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, met an Afghan cohort in Kabul headed by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar.
He "expressed Russia’s interest in increasing the level of bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan," Baradar’s office said in a statement released on social media site X.
"He also announced that, to expand political and economic relations between the two countries, the Islamic Emirate’s name would soon be removed from Russia’s blacklist.".
The Islamic Emirate is the name the Taliban government uses to refer to itself.Analysts say Moscow may be eying cooperation with Kabul to counter the threat from Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) -- the Afghan-based branch of the Sunni militant group.In March, more than 140 people were killed when IS-K gunmen sieged a Moscow concert hall.Taliban authorities have repeatedly said security is their top domestic priority and have pledged militants staging foreign attacks will be ousted from Afghanistan."The Taliban certainly are our allies in the fight against terrorism," Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in July."They are working to eradicate terrorist cells." UN says Taliban detained journalists over 250 times in Afghanistan since takeover (Reuters)
Reuters [11/26/2024 3:10 AM, Staff, 5.2M, Negative]
The United Nations’ mission to Afghanistan said on Tuesday the ruling Taliban had arbitrarily detained journalists 256 times since their takeover three years ago, and urged authorities there to protect the media.
In a reply accompanying the report, the Taliban-led foreign ministry denied having arrested that number of journalists and added that those arrested had committed a crime.
Journalists in Afghanistan worked under "challenging conditions", the U.N. mission (UNAMA) and the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement.
"They often face unclear rules on what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for perceived criticism," said Roza Otunbayeva, the special representative of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"We urge the de facto authorities to ensure the safety and security of all journalists and media workers as they carry out their tasks, and to fully recognize the importance of women working in the media," she added.
In its response, the ministry said women continued to work in the media, subject to certain conditions to meet religious morality rules, such as covering their faces and working separately from men.It described the U.N. report as being "far from actual realities" and said security forces were working to protect journalists. The Afghan information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The foreign ministry said the arrest figure was "exaggerated" and detentions took place subject to law.
"No one is arrested arbitrarily," it said, listing the infringements of those detained.
These ranged from encouraging people to act against the system, defaming the government and providing false and baseless reports, to co-operation with the system’s enemies in the media, and providing material to media outlets against the system, it added.
The Taliban swept to power in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, vowing to restore security and impose their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Their administration has not been officially recognised by any foreign government and Western diplomats have said the path to recognition is being stalled by the Taliban’s curbs on women. Blinken set to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal in House amid looming contempt vote (FOX News)
FOX News [11/26/2024 4:00 AM, Julia Johnson and Elizabeth Elkind, Neutral]
Facing the threat of a contempt of Congress vote, Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally agreed to testify in front of the 118th Congress’ House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal after being sought to do so for months, according to a spokesperson for the committee’s GOP majority.
President Biden’s Secretary of State is set to appear for a public hearing on Dec. 11, an HFAC majority spokesperson told Fox News Digital. His testimony will take place over three years after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken did testify directly after the withdrawal in front of the Democrat-controlled HFAC in September 2021.
Blinken has previously refused to comply with the GOP-led committee’s subpoena for testimony in 2024 on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
His initial testimony to the Democrat-controlled committee was not sufficient for Republican HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
In the recent Blinken contempt report, McCaul noted the 2021 "appearance was prior to an investigation being launched by the Committee, meaning this Committee had yet to conduct any transcribed interviews or document discovery. As a result, the Committee did not have the benefit of its investigative findings to probe Secretary Blinken’s testimony, which contained misleading accounts of the withdrawal and NEO under his leadership."
"After months of good faith efforts that were too often met with stonewalling from the State Department, I’m proud to have secured Secretary Blinken’s appearance before my committee. I trust his testimony will provide some long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families," said McCaul in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"It’s unfortunate the secretary agreed to appear only after my committee advanced contempt proceedings against him. While I wish he had not delayed this crucial appearance until the end of his tenure as head of the State Department, I look forward to hearing his testimony and asking poignant questions to help House Republicans and the next administration ensure nothing like this ever happens again."
Blinken’s decision to finally testify came as a floor vote to hold him in contempt of Congress drew closer, with the House Rules Committee expected to soon begin setting terms for a vote on the resolution.
Per the committee spokesperson, McCaul began seeking Blinken’s testimony in May. McCaul’s investigation into the withdrawal has spanned three years, but when Republicans were in the minority during the 117th Congress, he had limited oversight capabilities.
During a general hearing on American diplomacy with Blinken in May, McCaul first asked for the secretary to testify in September when the committee’s report on its investigation on the Afghanistan withdrawal was set to be released.
Blinken would not commit to do so, telling the chairman, "Well, we can have our teams talk about that Mr. Chairman. Thank you."
The committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, in the months following, Blinken was afforded repeated accommodations and received various warnings, but the Department of State (DOS) refused to name a date he would be willing to appear in September. He sought instead for his two deputies to testify, despite the fact that neither of them had been with the department during the withdrawal.
The committee ultimately decided to issue a subpoena for Blinken’s testimony in early September. The chairman then moved the date that he was subpoenaed to testify upon learning that Blinken was abroad, in order to ensure his attendance.
But on September 24, Blinken did not report to Congress to testify.
Following his absence, the HFAC voted to recommend that Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena. The vote was 26 to 25, along party lines.
The committee spokesperson detailed the lengths to which the Republican majority went to work with Blinken to avoid using its subpoena power. According to them, the committee reminded the DOS of the report just before September, when McCaul sought to have Blinken testify. However, the department and Blinken still refused to pick a date during the month.
On Nov. 7, HFAC majority staff met with leadership from the DOS and informed them about the report recommending Blinken be held in contempt advancing out of the committee. They further relayed that if he still refuses to provide dates to testify in front of the committee that the contempt resolution was prepared to head to the House floor for a vote. By Nov. 14, the contempt proceedings were noticed for consideration in the rules committee, which is one of the last steps before a House vote can occur. On this same day, the DOS made its first date offering to the committee. The department offered either Dec. 17 or 18, according to the committee spokesperson, but the two dates were in the last week of the session when many representatives will already be gone.
On Nov. 15, the committee countered the DOS with an offer of Dec. 10 or 11. The department ultimately chose the 11th and Blinken accepted, per the committee spokesperson.
The DOS did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. I travelled to Afghanistan and it was a ‘great experience - the Taliban welcome tourists’ (Daily Mail)
Daily Mail [11/25/2024 11:25 AM, Esther Marshall, 88008K, Positive]
Would you go on a tourist trip to Afghanistan? No?
Well, you’re missing out according to intrepid traveller Jannis M, who visited the country this year and tells Mailonline Travel that it was a ‘great experience’.
The 23-year-old traveller from Germany, who has so far been to 93 countries, says: ‘I loved Afghanistan and felt very safe. I was treated very well. Afghan people are among the most hospitable people in the world. I was greeted so many times and the people were curious [about] where I was from.‘I was invited into homes, to have dinner with locals and to have tea together. Even the Taliban treated me very well. The Taliban want tourists to come, so they assure you that you are safe all the time.’
His message for people who don’t think tourists should visit Afghanistan is clear. Jannis says: ‘These people will never see the world for themselves and never broaden their horizons.‘I know many people do not think that visiting Afghanistan is a good idea, but I can reassure you that it helps your personal development and your own point of view of certain things. It creates memories you would never create if you stay home.’
Jannis shared his experiences in Afghanistan in videos posted to his TikTok account - @jannistravels. In one video, he films from a boat on a lake in Band e Amir National Park, saying: ‘I’ve never in my life seen water this blue. It’s so nice and the landscape is breathtaking.’ Separately, Jannis tells MailOnline that the lakes were his favourite place in Afghanistan, describing them as a ‘dream’.
Jannis also visited Kabul’s bird market, where he explains in a video that it’s possible to ‘buy pretty much any type of bird that you want’, adding that the market is an ‘interesting’ but ‘sad’ place due to the creatures being caged.
In Kabul, Jannis even had his photo taken by one of the city’s last professional box-camera photographers, Haji Mirzaman. Jannis explains on Instagram: ‘It was an honour to meet him and definitely an interesting experience.’
The traveller also journeyed to historic Bamiyan, where the 6th-century Buddha statues used to stand before the Taliban destroyed them in 2001, describing it as an ‘impressive’ place despite the destruction.
It’s undoubtedly an unusual choice of holiday destination, so what made Jannis want to travel to Afghanistan in the first place?
He explains to MailOnline: ‘I would like to visit every country in the world and as I was travelling to Tajikistan close by, I thought I could combine the countries in one trip as Afghanistan is just around the corner. I had heard a lot of things about Afghanistan and wanted to make my own image of the country.‘It has an interesting history, culture, amazing people and great food and this is what I wanted to see and experience for myself.’
So, how did he plan his trip to Afghanistan?
Jannis explains: ‘I needed to get a visa. Through a friend I knew that there were possibilities of getting it in Dubai, Peshawar in Pakistan or at the Tajik border, which is what I did. A friend of mine went to Afghanistan with a guide and so I asked for his contact details.’
The adventurer adds that travelling with a guide was the only extra precaution he took to stay safe in Afghanistan.
But despite his positive experience, Jannis does only recommend Afghanistan as a destination for experienced travellers, explaining that it ‘might be a bit shocking for beginners as some [aspects] like hygiene are in poor condition’. Pakistan
Thousands Defy Pakistan Crackdown to Rally for Imran Khan’s Release (New York Times)
New York Times [11/25/2024 4:14 PM, Salman Masood, 831K, Neutral]
Thousands of supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan defied a government lockdown and violent police opposition to march to the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday evening and demand his release, the latest escalation of political tensions.
At least one officer was killed, and several officers and demonstrators were injured, the government said.
Mr. Khan, who has been in jail since August of 2023 and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains hugely popular despite attempts by the military-backed civilian government to suppress his support. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., says the cases are politically motivated.
Mr. Khan accuses the government and military of teaming up to crush his party, rig elections and undermine democracy. The government argues that Mr. Khan is sowing chaos through protests and insists the charges are legitimate, framing him as someone who refuses to play by the rules. It has rejected Mr. Khan’s calls to negotiate for his release.
On Sunday, Mr. Khan strongly urged his supporters to descend on the capital, demand his release, call for fresh elections and reverse constitutional amendments that have curtailed judicial powers.
The police said thousands of supporters, led by Mr. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and key aide Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also the chief minister of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has led previous protests, set off from Peshawar on Sunday. Along the way, they removed shipping containers and barriers as the police deployed tear gas in the Attock district, about 50 miles from Islamabad. Officials said one police official was killed in clashes on Monday.
The government has warned protesters not to reach the large town square of D-Chowk, a key venue for political protests near important government buildings in the capital.“Anyone who reaches D-Chowk will be arrested,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned. The government on Monday attempted to get P.T.I. to move the rally from the area.
The threats have done little to deter Mr. Khan’s supporters. They plan a sit-in in the capital in their bid to secure his release.
Ms. Bibi is also a spiritual guide to Mr. Khan and wears a full veil, symbolizing her adherence to Islamic modesty standards. She has been at the forefront of the current protest, stepping into a rare public leadership role.“As long as Imran is not with us, we will not end this march,” Ms. Bibi said in a brief speech to supporters Monday afternoon. “I will stay there till my last breath, and all of you must support me. This is not just about my husband, but about the country and its leader.”
Since the weekend, Islamabad has resembled a city under siege: The government imposed a lockdown on Saturday, and major roads have been blocked with shipping containers. Internet and cellular services have been suspended, which the P.T.I. said affected its call on social media for a protest. The police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday.
Authorities in Punjab Province also blocked the major arteries of Lahore, the provincial capital, as well as motorways leading to Islamabad.
Pakistan has seen recurring protests since Mr. Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in 2022.
But Mr. Khan has had remarkable political staying power, persistently challenging Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, which has long controlled the levers of power in the country.
Tensions heightened further after this year’s general election, which Mr. Khan’s party claims to have won.Some political analysts and observers warn that the country’s political crisis is nearing a breaking point.“The political confrontation is taking a heavy toll on the economy and destabilizing the country,” said Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States and United Kingdom. “Khan’s party is tapping into widespread and growing public discontent with a weak government whose legitimacy is in question.”
Ms. Lodhi added that while the protests have brought pressure, their outcome remains uncertain.“It’s an untenable situation, but also unpredictable,” she said. “Unless a political resolution is found, there is a clear and present danger of these protests snowballing into a larger crisis.” Pakistan Deploys Army in Its Capital as Protesters and Police Clash (New York Times)
New York Times [11/26/2024 3:29 AM, Salman Masood, 831K, Negative]
Pakistan deployed its army within the nation’s capital on Tuesday with orders to shoot protesters if necessary, as deadly clashes escalated between the police and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The government said that at least six members of the security force had been killed in the violence, as thousands of protesters marched to Islamabad to demand his release from prison.
The police used tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators, who pressed ahead toward a public square near major government offices, where they planned to hold a rally. They were dismantling roadblocks and moving shipping containers that had been put in place to stop them. Patriotic songs blared from vehicles, and supporters of Mr. Khan danced in front of the slow-moving convoy, some chanting, “Revolution! Revolution!”
Mr. Khan, an enormously popular politician and former cricket star who has been jailed since August of last year, called for the demonstration over the weekend. Pakistan’s military-backed civilian government put the capital on lockdown, blocking major highways and suspending cellular and internet services in several areas. But protesters managed to enter the city on Monday night.
Security officials said on Tuesday that the army had been deployed to secure important government sites and that troops had been ordered to shoot if needed.
Officials also said that four paramilitary troops had been killed overnight by protesters who ran over them with a vehicle. Mr. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., denied that accusation. Two police officers were reported to have been killed in earlier violence.
Several journalists were attacked by protesters on Tuesday. A photographer for The Associated Press was assaulted and his vehicle was damaged.
Mr. Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in 2022, was arrested last year on various corruption charges, which he and his supporters say were politically motivated attempts to sideline him after he began publicly criticizing the military. But Mr. Khan’s popularity has not diminished, and he has been able to mobilize other large protests from prison. Tensions between Mr. Khan and the military heightened after this year’s elections, which P.T.I. claims were rigged against it.
Mr. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, is leading the protest, having earlier spearheaded a large rally in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, which is controlled by Mr. Khan’s party. Other protesters joined the march after holding rallies at sites across the country.
Addressing a charged crowd of supporters early Tuesday, Ms. Bibi said the protesters would not leave the city until Mr. Khan was released. “We will go back only if Khan comes out and tells us to go back,” she said.
Mr. Khan accuses the government and the military of conspiring to crush his party and undermine democracy, including by rigging elections. He has also criticized recent legal changes that limit the power of Pakistan’s judiciary, arguing that they are meant to keep him out of power.
The government, which says the charges against Mr. Khan are legitimate, depicts him as a figure who is unwilling to follow the rule of law, accusing him of causing chaos through his protests.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif accused protesters of deliberately attacking security officers. “Pakistan cannot afford any chaos or bloodshed, and violence for malicious political objectives is unacceptable,” he said in a statement. Pakistan Army Told to ‘Shoot on Sight’ as Protests Turn Deadly (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/25/2024 8:43 PM, Kamran Haider and Ismail Dilawar, 27782K, Negative]
Pakistan’s army has been ordered to “shoot on sight” after clashes with demonstrators killed four soldiers and at least one protester, according to reports.The violence erupted when protesters demanding the release of Pakistan’s jailed former premier Imran Khan entered the capital Islamabad late Monday, defying efforts by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to stifle the nationwide demonstrations.Television networks reported that four paratroopers had been “martyred” and that the army, under Article 245, had been deployed and authorized to “shoot on sight.”Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan’s political movement, said one of the marchers was killed and 20 others were wounded as the authorities confronted the protesters.The authorities did not immediately comment on Bukhari’s statement, but earlier Monday they blamed the turmoil on Khan’s supporters, pointing out that a police officer had been killed and more than 119 hurt.The largest convoy, led by the former prime minister’s allies from the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had removed roadblocks along the highway to Islamabad after authorities tried to disperse them with tear gas, according to Pakistani government officials.Authorities earlier said hundreds of Khan’s followers in multiple cities had been arrested in the protests and skirmishes. Those injuries included gunshot wounds, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.The marches began Sunday at Khan’s encouragement. He remains in custody despite courts granting him bail or suspending sentences in some of the cases against him.Khan, a former cricket star, has been in jail for more than a year. He faces more than 150 cases related to his time as premier, from corruption to inciting violence and misuse of power.All educational facilities were closed in Islamabad for security reasons, according to a notice from the local administration. The government has also suspended mobile phone services in some areas and banned gatherings of more than five people in the capital.Naqvi, the interior minister, told reporters Monday, after attending the funeral for the policeman, that dozens of officers were injured in Islamabad, two of them in critical condition, and that protesters set vehicles on fire.He signaled in a later briefing that he intended to hold Khan directly accountable, saying “those who gave the call for the protest and seconded it are responsible for policemen casualties.” Naqvi also said authorities would arrest protesters who try to near the capital’s so-called Red Zone, where top government offices and Parliament are located, as well as the president and prime minister’s residences and embassies.Usman Anwar, chief of police in Punjab province, told reporters that 119 policemen were injured in several incidents in the region, which is just to the south of capital.The fresh protests are a challenge for Sharif’s government, which has tried to focus on restructuring and reforming the country’s weak economy under a loan and reform program managed by the International Monetary Fund.The government estimates that the unrest causing is costing the economy about 144 billion rupees ($518 million) daily, according to finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.In addition to his release, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party wants Sharif’s government to reverse a new law that it says gives the government the power to interfere in judicial affairs. Imran Khan supporters breach lockdown in Pakistani capital, at least 6 people killed in violence (AP)
AP [11/26/2024 4:07 AM, Riazat Butt, 456K, Negative]
Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital Islamabad, while at least six people have died in protest-related violence. Protesters battled security forces and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire.
The dead included four members of the security services and one civilian who were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack on Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting law enforcement personnel. There were no claims of responsibility for the ramming. A police officer died in a separate incident.
Thousands of security forces have poured into central Islamabad. Pakistan’s army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in downtown Islamabad’s Red Zone, which is an area that houses key government buildings and is the final destination for the protesters. Paramilitary rangers formed the next layer of deterrence at the site and police made up the third. Rangers urged everyone to leave the area, including journalists, and fired warning shots into the air.“We have now allowed police to take any decision according to the situation,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while visiting the square.
Earlier Naqvi threatened security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them.
Visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was staying in the Red Zone as part of his official trip.
One protestor, Shahzor Ali, said people were on the streets because Khan had called for them to be there. “We will stay here until Khan is among us. He will decide what to do next.”“If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said.
Police are using tear gas to try and disperse the crowds. Scores of people have been injured, including journalists who were attacked by demonstrators. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was treated in a hospital.
Pakistani media have mostly stopped filming and photographing the rally, instead focusing on the security measures and the city’s deserted streets.
People are closing in on the Red Zone. Naqvi said Khan’s party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. By Tuesday afternoon, fresh waves of protestors were making their way unopposed to the rally site. Most had the party flag around their shoulders or wore its tricolor on accessories.
Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023, and has been sentenced in several other cases.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who is leading the protest, told people to keep marching toward the Red Zone peacefully. She said another plan of action would be conveyed to protesters if Khan was not released. She also urged the government not to harm the demonstrators.
In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms are experiencing severe disruption in the capital.
The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand his release and uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible even with a VPN. Four troops killed in Pakistan as protesters demand release of ex-PM Khan (Reuters)
Reuters [11/26/2024 4:55 AM, Asif Shahzad and Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, 5.2M, Negative]
Security forces clashed with protesters near Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday as hundreds of supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan demanded his release in demonstrations the government said have killed four paramilitary troops.
A Reuters witness said hundreds of protesters reached D-Chowk in the capital Islamabad, a square near the country’s legislature that has been a historic rallying point for protests.
The interior ministry said the army had been deployed to protect diplomatic missions in the fortified red zone area where many government buildings and embassies are located.
It added that a curfew could be imposed with paramilitary troops called in to block the marchers, whom the prime minister blamed for the deaths, saying the troops were run over by vehicles in a convoy of protesters.
"It is not a peaceful protest. It is extremism," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement, condemning the bloodshed as being aimed at achieving "evil political designs".
The interior ministry confirmed the killings, but did not say who was responsible.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party has planned to hold a sit-in at D-Chowk until their demands are met.
The protesters were armed with steel rods, slingshots and sticks and were setting fire to trees and grass as they marched. Reuters witnesses heard firing around the protests though it was not clear who was responsible.
PTI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the government’s accusations.
Thousands of Khan’s supporters broke through security barriers on roads blocked with shipping containers as they responded to his call for a sit-in protest.
Calling for the government’s resignation among other demands, the protesters ransacked vehicles and set a police kiosk on fire.
The protesters also attacked and wounded journalists at two separate locations, people from two media houses told Reuters.
The government met Khan’s aides to try to calm the protests, but the attempt did not succeed, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said.
On Monday, a police officer was killed and dozens wounded in clashes as the protest approached Islamabad.
Khan’s party has called for a rollback of constitutional amendments it says the government made to handcuff the judiciary, which has questioned the legitimacy of several cases against the 72-year-old.
Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife and a key aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the chief minister of the PTI stronghold Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, led the march that wound its way into the capital early on Tuesday.
FINAL CALL
The protest march, which Khan has described as the "final call", is one of many his party had held to seek his release since he was jailed in August last year.
The party’s most recent protest in Islamabad in October turned violent.
Voted out of power by parliament in 2022 after he fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, Khan faces charges ranging from corruption to instigation of violence, all of which he and his party deny.
The military, which plays an outsized role in politics, is the kingmaker in the South Asian nation of 241 million.
Candidates backed by Khan’s party won the most seats in general elections in February, but a coalition cobbled together at the 11th hour and led by Sharif took power.
Khan and the PTI say the polls were rigged following a military-backed crackdown to keep him out of power. The army has denied charges of election manipulation.
Paramilitary troops and police in riot gear patrolled streets in Islamabad as authorities enforced a security lockdown over the last three days, barricading major roads with shipping containers.
Highways in the eastern part of Punjab province have also been blocked.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index (.KSE) was down more than 2% in intraday trading on Tuesday. After deadly sectarian violence, police clash with former leader’s supporters in Pakistan (NBC News)
NBC News [11/25/2024 9:00 AM, Mushtaq Yusufzai and Alexander Smith, 46778K, Negative]
The capital of Pakistan was locked down Monday as supporters of jailed former leader Imran Khan marched on the city to demand his release. It is the latest upheaval to hit this nuclear-armed United States ally after days of deadly clashes between rival sectarian groups.
That violence between warring Sunni and Shia Muslim factions was halted with an uneasy truce Sunday, though reports of skirmishes continued to emerge from the country’s often-unruly, mountainous northwest.
Just as that crisis cooled, however, authorities in the capital Islamabad were scrambling to block highways with shipping containers and restricting internet coverage, as police began to clash with those backing Khan, a former cricket icon turned ex-prime minister. Protesters and police traded accusations of brutality, with the police saying one of their number had been killed and more than 70 injured.
Khan remains a popular figure in this Muslim-majority country of more than 230 million people. That’s despite his imprisonment a year ago on some 150 charges including corruption, leaking state secrets and violating Islamic law. Supporters say these are trumped-up allegations, part of a wider effort to keep him and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) off the ballot in elections earlier this year — and out of power.
These backers organized what they called a "final call" or a "long march" on Islamabad on Monday, with officials saying the convoy of vehicles numbered 9,000-10,000 supporters. Video posted by the PTI showed marchers, led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, dancing, drumming and waving flags as they closed in on the capital. Fleets of cars, trucks and motorbikes spanned the road, many of them flying the red and green PTI flag.
"We will not return till our leader Imran Khan is released from prison," senior PTI politician Shaukat Ali Yousafzai told NBC News, adding that police had been using tear gas, causing injuries to some PTI supporters.
Responding to these allegations, the chief minister of the Punjab region, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, said police deployed to stop the protesters were unarmed, and in turn accused the marchers of wielding shotguns, knives and teargas shells.
Punjab information minister Uzma Bukhari said one officer had been killed more than 70 injured in the clashes, some of them seriously, as police released two pictures of officers it said had been hospitalized in the violence.
The military-backed government said the protest was merely designed to disrupt a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
"Whenever there is a high level and close ally visit to Pakistan, why does PTI become adamant in doing protests and agitations?" the country’s commerce minister, Jamal Khan, posted to X, a platform which is banned in the country. "These visits benefit us in a overall economic enhancement and contribute to our overall foreign policy stance.
The government responded by locking down the capital, placing shipping containers across major highways and leading to social media users calling the city "Containeristan.".
The Associated Press said ambulances and other emergency vehicles were seen turning around after being obstructed by these makeshift roadblocks. Yousafzai, the senior PTI leader, said party workers had successfully removed some of these containers from the highway between the capital and Peshawar.
Meanwhile officials e closed all schools and shut down cellphone internet access and Wi-Fi services in parts of the country considered a "security concern.".
The PTI responded to these restrictions by sharing a link to BBC coverage of the story.
"While our local compromised media has completely blacked out the largest mobilization in the history of Pakistan, international media is reporting live on all the developments of this historic march," it posted.
A truce in Kurram
The chaos comes one day after the government mediated a cease-fire between rival Shiite and Sunni Muslim militant groups after days of clashes near the Afghan border that killed at least 65 people.
The cease-fire in the sectarian-riven Kurram tribal district is set to last seven days, Mohammad Ali Saif, a local government spokesman and member of the delegation that negotiated the deal, told NBC News.
"It is a breakthrough as the situation was quite explosive after clashes and human casualties from both sides," Saif said, adding that the factions agreed to exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed.
The groups have been engaged in a decadeslong land dispute in the region. These tensions flared last week after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy of civilian vehicles passing through the region.
All of the 45 killed in that incident, including eight women and five children, were from the Shiite community. This sparked outrage, with hundreds of men from the Shiite community storming local villages, killing and kidnapping a number of people, and setting fire to gas stations and shops, according to the local government and police.
The violence prompted the government to dispatch the delegation to the region, which is 150 miles from Islamabad and closer to the Afghan capital Kabul.
"Both sides had serious reservations about the insecurity and deteriorating law and order situation, lack of enough police force etc," Saif said. "We carefully listened to them and assured them of full cooperation in resolving all genuine issues to restore peace and harmony in the tribal district.".
Small groups were still attacking each other’s villages in the rural areas, Saif added, but he said that he hoped that they too would soon stop fighting. Pakistan tightens online censorship with crackdown on VPNs (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [11/25/2024 8:50 PM, Adnan Aamir, 2376K, Negative]
Pakistan is set to ban most Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), putting it on the path of countries including China and Russia that have throttled internet access to crack down on dissent.Islamabad said it is trying to curb militancy and online crime. But the planned ban, expected to begin this weekend, is the latest in a series of online censorship moves by Pakistani officials and comes as authorities lock down the capital Islamabad and clash with thousands of anti-government protesters calling for the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.Banning VPNs -- a tool that helps users secure a private online connection and protect data -- would deal a big blow to freedom of expression and batter Pakistan’s already fragile economy, observers say. A top information technology lobby group is warning that the crackdown could cost the sector $1 billion in its first year.Pakistan has banned or disrupted access to several social media and chat platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, and WhatsApp, leaving millions to depend on VPNs."Authorities are flagrantly implementing measures to ban the usage of VPNs, which will be detrimental not just for socioeconomic ... [reasons] but it will also curb free expression and access to information," Hajira Maryam, a spokesperson for Amnesty Tech, an arm of rights group Amnesty International, told Nikkei Asia.This month, the government ran a trial run to temporarily block VPNs. The telecom authority has said it will ban VPNs unless they are registered with the government, but officials have already warned that nonbusiness networks won’t get a green light.The registration process, ushered in by the government earlier this year, could cast doubt on the security of a company’s data, said Nighat Dad, executive director of the Digital Rights Foundation."If the business handles sensitive information of foreign clients or partners, there is a possibility that it could lead to a reputational impact on that business, which in turn could have a financial impact," she added.Pakistan’s IT sector, which creates software for foreign companies and provides outsource services such as accounting and human resources, could take a major hit from the ban. The sector exported $3.2 billion in IT and IT-enabled services in the last fiscal year.Sajjad Mustafa Syed, chairman of top IT sector body the Pakistan Software Houses Association, told local media that the imminent crackdown could mean a $1 billion loss for the industry in the first year, and jack up operational costs by $150 million annually.The head of a business process outsourcing company in Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, is bracing for the impact."The stifling of the internet in recent months has cost us multiple foreign clients," said Ali, the business owner, who asked that his first name not be used. "We need multiple IP addresses to protect our client’s data, and blocking unregistered VPNs will kill our business."Pakistan in August installed a web management system (WMS), which allows authorities to block content, monitor and control internet traffic at a gateway level on national security grounds. Internet speeds slowed markedly and critics said the move amounted to putting up a firewall, similar to China’s efforts aimed at preventing residents from accessing information it sees as detrimental or potentially destabilizing.The system was announced a couple of months after Myanmar’s military government launched a bid to shut off access to VPNs, while internet access was cut temporarily during anti-government protests in Bangladesh this summer.Experts, however, doubt Pakistan has the ability or resources to implement internet-control measures on similar to those overseen by Beijing or Moscow."Many states have passed laws banning unlicensed VPNs, but it’s difficult to completely ban all VPN technologies in practice. Different VPN protocols can be used to bypass censorship technologies, resulting in a cat-and-mouse game," said Maryam at Amnesty Tech. "It is also unclear how the government will differentiate between ‘registered’ and ‘unregistered’ VPNs, a distinction that is harder to implement in practice."The looming Dec. 1 deadline comes as authorities locked down Islamabad and halted mobile services to block thousands of anti-government supporters marching toward the city in a show of support for the country’s ex-Prime Minister Khan.The former cricket star was ousted in a 2022 no-confidence motion and imprisoned last year on a raft of charges, including corruption and abuse of power. From prison, Khan called for the protests over charges he dismissed as politically motivated."The imminent ban would affect journalists’ ability to freely report on critical developments and severely undermine citizens’ rights to stay informed," said Beh Lih Yi, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Pakistan authorities must scrap this proposal, which amounts to a new censorship regime because people’s lives and livelihoods depend on access to timely and accurate information." India
Arrests after Muslims killed in mosque survey violence in India’s Sambhal (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [11/25/2024 7:18 AM, Staff, 25768K, Negative]
Police have arrested dozens of people, shut down the internet, closed schools, and tightened security in Sambhal district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state after deadly violence erupted over a survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
At least three Muslim men - Naeem, Bilal, and Noman - were killed on Sunday as people opposed to the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal clashed with police, according to local media reports. The death toll rose to four after a 19-year-old man succumbed to his injuries.
"All schools and colleges have been closed and public gatherings have been prohibited" in Sambhal, said a senior police officer, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh. Authorities also banned outsiders, social organisations and public representatives from entering the city without official permission until November 30, Singh said, as the government scrambled to contain the unrest.
At least 25 people have been arrested and police complaints have been filed against some 2,500 people, including local Member of Parliament Zia-ur-Rehman Barq from the regional Samajwadi Party (SP), according to Sambhal police chief Krishan Kumar Bishnoi.
Burq has been accused of inciting the mob, a charge he denied.
"It is so unfortunate, it is a preplanned incident. Across the country, Muslims are being targeted," he said.
Survey of the mosque
Earlier, a local court allowed the survey on the back of a petition filed by eight plaintiffs led by pro-Hindutva lawyer Hari Shankar Jain that claimed the 16th-century mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple, officials said.
Sunday’s survey, the second in five days, was opposed by the local community who fear it was an attempt to take over the mosque and foment communal tensions. The first survey conducted on November 19 was completed with the cooperation of the local community. Muslims say the court rushed with the survey and they were not given a chance to present their case.
What began as a standoff escalated into clashes when protesters threw stones at police, who responded by deploying tear gas, police said. Police said at least 16 officers were "seriously injured" during the protests.
Videos circulating on social media showed scenes of stone pelting and vehicles engulfed in flames as police used firearms.
Sunday’s incident was also reminiscent of the dispute over the Babri Mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya town that was demolished in 1992 by a Hindu mob, claiming that the 16th-century mosque was built in place of a temple for God Ram.
The mosque’s demolition led to religious riots that killed nearly 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, across India.
Opposition slams BJP
Opposition politicians and activists accused the state government of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "orchestrating" the survey to draw a wedge between Hindus and Muslims.
Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and SP leader, blamed the state government for the unrest. "This incident is unfortunate," he said.
The opposition Congress party called for a judicial inquiry into the violence. "The Sambhal incident is a result of the politics of hatred done by this government. The way five people have been killed there, a judicial inquiry must be done into it," state’s Congress chief Ajay Rai said.
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, told reporters outside Parliament: "The violence that occurred there, where three Muslims were shot dead, is something we strongly condemn. This is not firing, this is murder."
Some lawmakers also raised the issue in Parliament soon after it reconvened for the winter session.
Owaisi, who represents the southern constituency of Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha, Parliament’s lower house, said the mosque in question is 200-250 years old and the court passed "an ex-parte order" regarding the mosque without hearing its caretakers.
Indian Union Muslim League MP Muhammed Basheer called for a motion in Parliament to discuss the killing of the protesters and slammed the mosque survey decision. "We strongly condemn this judicially sanctioned action for its blatant violation of the Protection of Places of Worship Act," he posted on X.
As authorities brace for potential fallout, the incident has reignited tensions over religious disputes in India where historical grievances often fuel contemporary conflicts.
Hindu activist groups, mostly linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party BJP, have claimed that several mosques in India were built over Hindu temples centuries ago during the Mughal empire. Though they have provided little proof for their claims.
Experts say Hindu nationalists have been emboldened after Modi earlier this year inaugurated the controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of the Babri mosque, in a political triumph for the populist leader who is allegedly seeking to transform the country from a secular democracy into a Hindu state.
Some critics pointed out that the survey of the mosque was against the spirit of The Place of Worship Act 1991. The law says "the religious character of a place of worship existing on the 15th day of August 1947 shall continue to be the same as it existed on that day" - the day of India’s independence from British rule.
Hindus make up about 80 percent of India’s population, the world’s most populous country, which is also home to some 200 million Muslims who have frequently come under attack by Hindu nationalists since Modi’s rise to power in 2014. Silence From Modi Allies Shows Adani Has Some Political Cover (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/25/2024 6:15 AM, Ruchi Bhatia and Swati Gupta, 27782K, Neutral]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allies have largely refrained from commenting on the US’s shock bribery allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani, a sign of the strong political support he enjoys in India.The tycoon, who founded the Adani Group and is considered a close ally of Modi, has invested across Asia’s third-largest economy, including in states run by the prime minister’s coalition partners. He’s now accused by the US in a $250 million bribery plot involving Indian state officials and concealing it from American investors.Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority in the parliament after national elections earlier this year and was forced to turn to coalition partners to form a government. The parties are mainly regional groups, dominating in states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which have major infrastructure projects spearheaded by the Adani Group. Their silence on the grave charges Adani faces show how hard it would be to initiate any kind of formal investigation into the port-to-energy conglomerate in India.“Part of his protection has to do with the fact that he is an integral part of how states run and even how diplomacy runs,” said Neelanjan Sircar, an associate professor at Ahmedabad University. It’s not just Adani’s connection to Modi that has been beneficial to the billionaire but an “intricate web of connections” which he has “throughout the political class,” Sircar said.The Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Modi’s key regional parties in the eastern India state of Bihar, declined to comment on the US charges against Adani.Modi’s biggest coalition partner, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, addressed the matter briefly in the local assembly on Friday, saying his government will study the indictment and “act on it,” the Press Trust of India reported.The US indictment has dominated the news since Thursday, with Modi’s rivals renewing questions on the prime minister’s relationship with Adani and calling for federal and parliamentary probes into the bribery allegations. Opposition lawmakers demanded a debate about the businessman at the winter parliamentary session, which kicked off Monday, before proceedings were adjourned until Wednesday.From ports to electricity and airports, Adani’s infrastructure network not only dominates large parts of India’s economy, it’s also aligned with areas Modi has prioritized for development.“It won’t be easy to initiate a probe against the Adani Group,” said Amit Ranjan, research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. “It depends on how politically united” the opposition’s actions are, he said. In Andhra Pradesh, the Adani Group last year announced plans to build a data center in Visakhapatnam, the largest city in the state, on top of the $2.4 billion already invested in the region in multiple sectors, like ports, logistics, and renewable energy. In October, Naidu met with executives from the company to discuss more investment opportunities in sectors ranging from ports and mining to tourism and AI.The Adani Group has also made substantial investments in states that are not governed by the BJP or its allies. In 2024, the group announced $5.1 billion worth of investments into data centers, cement units and power storage project in Tamil Nadu, a state that the BJP has never governed. In neighboring Telangana, which is currently controlled by the Indian National Congress, the group signed contracts this year for over $1.5 billion of investment.The bribery allegations relate to a senior official in Andhra Pradesh before Naidu took power in the state in June. The Adani Group has denied the allegations and said it would seek legal recourse. Andhra Pradesh’s former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who ran the state during the period mentioned in the indictment, denied any wrongdoing.Naidu said Friday that the allegations have damaged the image of the state and was a “very sad development,” according to the PTI report. Will Adani’s Indictment in the US Dent Modi-Trump Ties? (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [11/25/2024 5:58 AM, Staff, 1198K, Neutral]
It may not derail relations with the U.S., but if New Delhi fails to launch a domestic investigation, it will damage India’s credibility as a reliable partner.Just days after congratulating U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on X, formerly Twitter, and promising an investment of $10 billion in “US energy security and resilient infrastructure projects,” Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group and India’s second richest person, and seven of his associates were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of bribery linked to a mega solar power plant.According to the allegations, which relate to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, members of the Adani Group promised bribes to the tune of $265 million to Indian government officials to secure energy contracts funded by international investors, including some from the United States. While the Adani Group has denied these claims, describing them as “baseless,” the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has already initiated a formal civil lawsuit against Adani and his associates.When asked about the potential impact the indictment could have on India-U.S. relations, the White House reiterated that bilateral ties “stand on an extremely strong foundation” and said that both sides will “continue to navigate this issue.”Meanwhile, when a journalist raised the issue at a recent special briefing by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Guyana, it was promptly dismissed on grounds of not relating to the agenda. This follows a pattern where the Modi government has consistently avoided answering questions on its ties with the billionaire businessman. On the Adani allegations, a spokesperson for the BJP told reporters that the company should “give clarification and defend itself,” while assuring that “law will take its course.”The Adani indictment comes close on the heels of charges by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against a former Indian intelligence official for allegedly orchestrating a foiled plot to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan U.S. citizen of Sikh origin, in New York. While both sides are working together to investigate the case, the United States is increasing pressure for “meaningful accountability” from the Indian side.Recently, India and the U.S. concluded a $3.5 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B drones. The clearance of the sale by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee was contingent on the Modi government’s full “cooperation” with the DOJ in the Pannun case. This reflects growing concerns about the rise of illiberalism in India, which many in India perceive as hypocrisy and reflective of the West’s double standards, indicating some rifts in an otherwise “very invaluable relationship.”Many analysts see the parallel rise of the Adani Group with the Modi government’s rise to power as more than a mere coincidence, but indicative of the close nexus between the two. The Modi government’s favoritism toward the Adani Group is an open secret among observers of Indian politics, and has garnered international media attention, especially since the publication of the Hindenburg Research report accusing the Adani Group of engaging in stock manipulation and accounting fraud based on a two-year long investigation in January last year.So far, Modi has stayed silent on his alleged ties to Adani and the BJP has successfully derailed attempts by opposition parties to bring this up in parliamentary debates. However, the seriousness of the charges together with greater opposition unity indicates that Modi’s ties to Adani will face greater scrutiny both domestically and internationally.Going by the experience of Donald Trump’s first presidency, India’s seemingly democratic backsliding is unlikely to cause major rifts. Unlike the Biden administration, which attached a lot of importance to liberal democracy, and hence could not openly ignore the undemocratic trends in India, as it would invite costly criticism, Trump’s disinterest in democratic and human rights will mean a more transactional, issue-based cooperation with India.New Delhi can hope that, under the Trump administration, the Adani probe will not delve into the uncomfortable question of ties with the ruling BJP government. Although Trump won’t handle foreign policy entirely on his own, he will still wield significant discretionary power in this area, which under current circumstances is likely to benefit rather than harm India.The immediate fallout is likely to be felt in countries like Sri Lanka, where the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has committed to funding the Adani Group’s Colombo Port West Terminal Project. While a lot depends on how the legal proceedings unfold, irrespective of the verdict, the project will surely come under greater scrutiny, from both Washington and Colombo.Even if the Adani Group reaches a settlement, the reputational damage caused by this indictment has far-reaching consequences. With some global banks already considering halting fresh credit to the Adani Group, it could potentially impair the conglomerate’s funding access. Given New Delhi’s growing reliance on private companies to finance overseas infrastructure projects, this is a cause for concern.As I explained in an earlier piece for The Diplomat, the lack of transparency around how private companies liaise with Indian authorities overseas complicates matters. The Adani indictment may not immediately derail relations with the U.S., but if New Delhi fails to launch a domestic investigation, it will seriously damage its credibility as a reliable partner. India’s Central Bank Governor Hospitalized, to Be Discharged (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/25/2024 11:02 PM, Preeti Soni and Anup Roy, 27782K, Neutral]
India’s central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das was hospitalized in the southern city of Chennai and is expected to be released soon.“Das experienced acidity” and was admitted to the Apollo Hospital for observation, a spokesman for the Reserve Bank of India said Tuesday. “He is now doing fine and will be discharged in the next 2-3 hours. There is no cause for concern.”Das, 67, has been at the helm of the RBI for six years, with his contract coming to an end on Dec. 10. The government and RBI haven’t given any indication yet whether he will remain in his post or be replaced. Modi’s BJP Bounces Back Through State Election Wins (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [11/25/2024 5:35 AM, Snigdhendu Bhattacharya, 1198K, Neutral]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bounced back less than six months after its narrow victory in parliamentary elections.
Of the three states and one Union Territory that voted in assembly elections over the last couple of months, the BJP has won two states and wrested several seats from opposition parties in different by-elections. This is expected to embolden the party to press ahead on contentious items on its agenda.
Following its sharply reduced tally in the parliamentary elections in Haryana, the BJP was expected to lose in the October assembly elections in the state. Yet it returned to power for a third consecutive term.
In Maharashtra, India’s second-largest state and home to Mumbai, India’s financial capital, the opposition Congress-led INDIA bloc won 29 of Maharashtra’s 48 parliamentary seats in the May-June parliamentary election. However, the recent assembly elections saw a total reversal. The BJP-led alliance won 230 of 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly, winning a four-fifth majority.
While the INDIA bloc won Jharkhand, this is a relatively minor state - home to a third of the size of Maharashtra’s population. In October, the BJP also faced a setback in the assembly election of the northern Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, where the INDIA bloc notched up a comprehensive victory.
Political scientist Ajay Gudavarthy, who teaches at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told The Diplomat that following its electoral debacle in the general election, the BJP worked hard as it was worried that the opposition was setting a counter-narrative. With the Haryana and Maharashtra election victories, it has successfully taken the steam out of the opposition narrative, he said.
Gudavarthy pointed out that both in Haryana and Maharashtra, the BJP formed a social configuration of castes against the dominant Jat and influential Maratha communities, respectively. "The BJP, despite being a conservative party, played out the optics of a progressive transformation for forging these social configurations," Gudavarthy said.
The BJP showed strategic flexibility not only in forging social configurations but also in modifying its economic strategy. The party has in the past criticized welfare/subsidy schemes promised by opposition parties and dubbed them as revdi or harmful politics of freebies and dole.
However, it has been flirting with the revdi tactic since the Madhya Pradesh assembly election in November last year, and after the 2024 parliamentary election upset, embraced it more robustly, promising "freebies" to voters, especially women and the poor, in the Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand election campaigns.
The BJP also shed its over-reliance on Modi’s appeal and focused heavily on the local leadership in both Maharashtra and Haryana. Only in Jharkhand did the BJP bank on leaders from outside the state.
While making these adjustments, the party persisted with communally polarizing rhetoric. It stuck to its high-pitched Hindu nationalist campaign despite being criticized for being divisive, hateful and communal.
While they came due to the success of its successful election strategy, the victories, especially in Maharashtra, are likely to encourage the BJP to push through on its ideological agenda, including amending legislation on the Waqf Board that manages the Muslim religious properties, implementing the Uniform Civil Code, and holding elections at all levels simultaneously.
Modi’s third consecutive term as prime minister was expected to be difficult due to the BJP’s reduced strength in parliament - its tally was 32 short of the majority mark - and its consequent dependence on the support of its allies.
In July, in the first by-elections held after the parliamentary elections, the INDIA bloc won 10 out of 13 seats, which prompted jubilant opposition leaders to claim that it reflected the changing political climate of the country. The BJP’s popularity appeared to be declining.
However, in the November by-election for 48 assembly seats, the BJP recovered ground in the north, winning most seats in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Gujarat.
The by-election results are particularly significant for Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP suffered a setback in the parliamentary election. The assembly by-elections saw the BJP hold on to its own seats and wrest control over two seats from the opposition bloc.
However, the party failed to make any impression in by-elections in opposition-ruled West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka.
"The Haryana, Maharashtra and by-election results will increase the BJP’s power to drive hard bargains with their allies. With the BJP retaining significant popularity, its allies will tend to stick together," an opposition Trinamool Congress parliamentarian told The Diplomat, requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, in August, the BJP and its allies touched the majority mark in the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of the Indian parliament. For a Bill to become an Act, it must be passed in both Houses of Parliament. Enacting legislation has gotten easier for the Modi government
Parliament’s winter session has begun. Buoyed by its recent electoral victories, the BJP can be expected to go on an offensive mode. U.S.-India Relations From 15,000 Feet (Wall Street Journal – opinion)
Wall Street Journal [11/25/2024 4:59 PM, Walter Russell Mead, 810K, Neutral]
Tawang, the regional center of a tiny slice of India wedged between Bhutan and China in a far-flung corner of India’s northeast Arunachal Pradesh state, is off the beaten track for foreign visitors. But from here the promise and complexity of the U.S.-India relationship are easy to see.
Our local host was the India Foundation, which has close relations with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Thanks to the foundation, a small delegation organized by the Hudson Institute (my think tank base in Washington) had been cleared to visit this sensitive border region. After about a three-hour flight from New Delhi, we boarded a helicopter for a 70-minute flight over Bhutan before landing at Tawang.
Disembarking, we were greeted by dignitaries bearing wooden bowls brimming with the locally produced alcoholic spirit. While four people performed an energetic and surprisingly lifelike yak dance around us, our hosts gave us some basic facts about the region. The predominant ethnic group, the Monpa, has about 50,000 members who are subdivided into six smaller groups each with its own language.
Monpa, we were told, means “lowland dwellers.” With Tawang a mere 11,500 feet above sea level, the real mountain dwellers consider the Monpas the next thing to flatlanders. Even so, life in Tawang can be rugged. Fermented yak cheese is a challenging condiment to wrap your tongue around, yak meat is both tough and on the gamey side, and yak butter tea is an acquired taste that I, sadly, failed to acquire. Happily, non-yak options abound.
It was to Tawang that the current Dalai Lama came as a refugee in 1959. Over these same roads in 1962 came Chinese invaders, not stopping until they reached the fertile plains of Assam. The invasion shocked then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru into asking the U.S. for military aid, and although the Chinese returned to Tibet after several weeks of occupation, the attack still resonates across the Northeast and in the ministries in faraway New Delhi.
From Tawang it was about a two-hour jeep trek up the rocky Himalayas to the contested India-Tibetan frontier at Bumla. Along the way we passed a mix of pre-1962 fortifications and sturdier, more modern facilities from which the Indian Army prepares to defend the region against renewed Chinese aggression. Once at Bumla, where the mountains yield to the outer reaches of the Tibetan Plateau, we were shown around the facilities at a border post 15,200 feet above sea level. In the thin, clear atmosphere, we could see Chinese troops—said to outnumber the Indian defenders 2 to 1—manning the border post and snow-capped peaks in the distance. The frontier is closed now, though a path across the hills showed where merchants, monks and animal herders once made the trek to Lhasa.
China, our briefers told us as we shivered around the kerosene-burning space heaters in the border post, has invested heavily in new infrastructure on its side of the border. India is doing its best to match the buildup, but the terrain on the Indian side is far less favorable, and keeping the narrow and winding Bumla road open is a major endeavor.
The northeast is a hard place to defend. Arunachal Pradesh’s population (1.4 million in the last census) is divided into dozens of tribes and ethnicities, some smaller than the Monpas. Other northeastern states like Manipur and Nagaland are equally complex. With the civil war in Myanmar creating refugees and making both arms and drugs widely available and ethnic and religious tensions rising in this volatile landscape, India’s hands would be full even without the threat from over the mountains.
That threat draws India closer to the U.S., but everything is complicated in this nation of 1.4 billion-plus people. Religion is one issue. Arunachal Pradesh’s population was 10% Christian 30 years ago, we were told. Today there are more Christians than any other religious group in the state. The official estimate is that 30% of the population is Christian, but the real figure may be higher. Hindu India, conquered successively by proselytizing Muslims from Central Asia and British Christians, wants the proselytization to stop, and those wishes often clash with American ideas about religious freedom.
Then there is Bangladesh. India’s northeast is nearly indefensible without access to Bangladeshi airspace. The former ruler Sheikh Hasina worked closely with India. Many Americans cheered when a student-led protest movement forced the increasingly autocratic Ms. Hasina from office in August. Many Indians believe an equally authoritarian but less pro-India government will ultimately emerge from the chaos and blame American meddling for Ms. Hasina’s fall.
As seen from Tawang, a strong U.S.-India relationship is both necessary and problematic. Only America can help India keep China on its own side of the border, but America is a difficult friend.
In New Delhi and Tawang, Indians mostly cheered Donald Trump’s election. They hope he will give India the support against China it seeks without making a lot of noise about human rights.
We shall see. Resolving India’s population woes requires political maturity (Al Jazeera – opinion)
Al Jazeera [11/25/2024 6:40 AM, Sitaraman Shankar, 25768K, Neutral]
Population growth in India is on a downward trajectory. Economist Shamika Ravi, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently commented on X that fertility rates in more than three-quarters of India’s states are now below what is required to maintain population levels.
For the world’s most populous country, with a population over 1.45 billion, this should be an occasion for celebration, especially given its overburdened infrastructure and scarcity of resources.
But many of the country’s leaders don’t seem pleased with this state of affairs.
Chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, two progressive and relatively prosperous states in the south of the country, have been calling on their constituents to have more children. The central government, led by Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, appears hellbent on parliamentary reforms that would reduce the representation of states that managed to curtail their population growth while awarding states that continue to grow with more seats.
If all this appears illogical, it’s worth remembering that what makes short-term sense politically often does not make sense in any other way.
So why are some Indian leaders not happy with the country’s apparent success in bringing population growth under control, and why are they actively trying to incentivise Indians to have more children?
For one, the decline in population growth is not uniform across the country. Some of India’s most populous and poorest states are still growing rapidly, increasing the strain on the richer states that are forced to subsidise them. Second, with a revamp of the Parliament of India that would give more seats to states with larger populations looming on the horizon, richer states that are less populous - and have been much more successful in implementing population control strategies - are worried about their future representative power at the centre. Third, the decline in the fertility rate means the country’s much-touted "demographic dividend" - strong economic growth due to a large proportion of the population being of working age - will peter out.
Government data shows that the three major Indian states still growing at high rates are Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar and Jharkhand, all in the north. UP, which already has more people than Brazil, has a fertility rate of 2.4, while Bihar’s is at 3.0 and Jharkhand’s is 2.3 - all higher than the Indian average of 2.0 and above the replacement rate of 2.1. However, in rich southern states, which are home to some of India’s most prosperous and productive cities, like tech powerhouse Bangalore and car-making hub Chennai, fertility rates stand at 1.7-1.8, well below the current India average and the replacement rate.
In response to these numbers, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin (named after the late Soviet dictator) and Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu have made calls that fly in the face of years of careful government-sponsored family planning schemes.
Andhra Pradesh has abolished a law disqualifying people with more than two children from contesting local body elections. Naidu has gone as far as to state that having larger families is a "responsibility" and a "service to society".
Stalin, concerned about the south’s potential loss of parliamentary seats in the upcoming parliamentary reform exercise, went a step further and asked "Why shouldn’t we aim for 16 children?" While this was a reference to a Tamil language adage, hopefully not to be taken literally, it is likely the beginning of a campaign to put pressure on the central BJP government to abandon the planned parliamentary reforms.
The BJP wants to revamp the Parliament by a process called "delimitation", which will assign seats to each state according to population figures from a new census that is to be conducted sometime in the next couple of years. The southern states are furious, arguing that the exercise will punish them for their good track record in keeping population growth in check.
There also appears to be a cynical side to this reform effort, as it will likely benefit Modi’s BJP politically.
Some calculations show that the north of the country, which is the stronghold of Modi’s right-wing party, will likely gain some 30 seats in Parliament, roughly the same amount the south will lose if the existing seats were to be redistributed according to the data that will be gathered in the upcoming census. If Parliament is expanded in line with the country’s population growth, the north will gain more than 150 seats and the south a mere 35.So either way, it is in the BJP’s interests to try and push delimitation through. Even now, winning UP is usually enough to win the national election. If the state has even more seats, and the BJP holds onto its support base there, it could be in power for a very, very long time.
Gifting more seats to UP due to its growing population may seem smart for the BJP and even fair on paper, but it is, in fact, a bad idea that could further hurt an already polarised country. It would disincentivise states from controlling their populations and focusing on improving living conditions for their people, while giving rich, progressive states more reason to feel sidelined by the central government.
The BJP-led central government should follow the lead of earlier administrations - including one of its own - by kicking the delimitation can down the road and continuing to allow the population numbers from 1971 to be used as a basis for parliamentary seat calculations. This will allow the northern states time to catch up on population control.
Or, if it has to go ahead with delimitation based on population - the fundamental tenets of democracy link population numbers with power, after all - it needs to work out a formula to compensate the southern states, perhaps with additional seats based on their social progress.
The central government’s data shows that the southern states rank higher to much higher on its Social Progress Index (SPI) than the big northern ones. The SPI incorporates a range of indicators including nutrition, medical care, education and access to water and sanitation.
There is already an obvious, short-term solution to the diminishing demographic dividend problem: moving people from where they are in excess to where they are actually needed and can be catered for. This is already happening - migrants from Bihar are present in large numbers in Stalin’s Tamil Nadu, for instance.
Such a strategy would keep real wages down, and push locals of rich states into higher-paying jobs, while providing some relief to states that are struggling to provide a decent standard of living for their massive populations.
Of course, taking this high road would require a lot of political maturity.
Southern states should avoid political grandstanding, guard against a backlash against migrants whose culture and language may be alien to them and band together to formulate a bargaining strategy on delimitation.
In the same way, the BJP needs to demonstrate significant political maturity and put India’s long-term interests ahead of short-term gains for the party, and abandon or at least postpone delimitation for the benefit of the whole nation.
The best solutions are to be found in getting politicians to behave apolitically and look at the long-term future of the country, not their own immediate gains. This is a bit like asking an obese man to stick to the diet the doctor ordered when he can sniff the fragrance from a nearby feast; hard on him, but the consequences of making the wrong choice would be profound. NSB
Bangladeshi court denies bail to Hindu leader who led rallies for minority protection (AP)
AP [11/26/2024 4:49 AM, Julhas Alam, 456K, Neutral]
A prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader who has been leading rallies demanding security for Hindus in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation was ordered detained on charges of sedition Tuesday.
The magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam denied bail to Krishna Das Prabhu and ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
As police attempted to transport the Hindu leader to jail, hundreds of his supporters surrounded the van carrying him, forcing it to stop for over an hour before security officials fired teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters threw stones at police during a brief confrontation, before the way was cleared and Prabhu was taken to jail.
As the tension grew, TV live footage showed dozens of Muslims joining the security officials, chasing Hindu protesters and throwing stones at them.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.
Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising in August and an interim government took over. The government says the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated.
Around 91% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest.
Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag.
He was arrested in Dhaka’s main airport on Monday while traveling to Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh.
Kushal Baran Chakrabarty, who was accompanying Prabhu at the time of his arrest, said that several detectives took the Hindu leader to a police car at the airport.“Chinmoy Prabhu gave his phone to me as he was forcefully taken to the police car. The police detectives jostled with us to forcefully take his phone and they took it away. We then followed the police car that headed for the headquarters of the Detective Branch at Minto Road in Dhaka,” he said. “We stayed outside the Detective Branch’s office.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed “deep concern” in a statement on Tuesday.“This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples,” the statement said.
It also condemned attacks on peaceful protests by Hindus.“We urge Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression,” the ministry wrote.
Prabhu faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag. Dhaka-based leading Prothom Alo daily reported that Prabhu would be produced before a court on Tuesday, and that two other people have been arrested in the case.
On Tuesday, the Hindu leader was brought before the magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam in southeastern city of Chattogram, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. The court was packed and dozens of lawyers stood for him to seek bail.
Since August, Prabhu has led several large rallies demanding safety for the Hindus, as the interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said reports of attacks have been exaggerated.
Many in the interim government see the rallies by Hindus as a threat to stability and a ploy to rehabilitate Hasina and her Awami League party.
The long-ruling secular party is seen as a protector of the Hindu minority and has close ties to neighboring India. Hundreds of Hasina’s supporters, including many close aides, are believed to have fled to India after her fall.
Prabhu is a prominent Hindu leader and a respected figure. He is a member of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group. He is also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Krishna movement, and acts as a spokesman for the group in Bangladesh.
Prabhu’s followers took to the streets in Chattogram and Dhaka to demand his release on Monday.
In Dhaka, a mob armed with sticks attacked Hindu protesters on Monday night at Shahbagh intersection near the Dhaka University.
Kalbela, a Bengali-language daily, said in a video report on Monday night that the attackers drove the Hindu protesters away from the area.
Hasina fled the country on Aug. 5 after a student-led protest morphed into a mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule. The country’s security agencies are struggling to keep order as the police agencies remained demoralized after dozens of their members were killed during the mass uprising in July and August.Around 91% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest.
Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag.
He was arrested in Dhaka’s main airport on Monday while traveling to Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh.
Kushal Baran Chakrabarty, who was accompanying Prabhu at the time of his arrest, said that several detectives took the Hindu leader to a police car at the airport.“Chinmoy Prabhu gave his phone to me as he was forcefully taken to the police car. The police detectives jostled with us to forcefully take his phone and they took it away. We then followed the police car that headed for the headquarters of the Detective Branch at Minto Road in Dhaka,” he said. “We stayed outside the Detective Branch’s office.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed “deep concern” in a statement on Tuesday.“This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples,” the statement said.
It also condemned attacks on peaceful protests by Hindus.“We urge Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression,” the ministry wrote.
Prabhu faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag. Dhaka-based leading Prothom Alo daily reported that Prabhu would be produced before a court on Tuesday, and that two other people have been arrested in the case.
On Tuesday, the Hindu leader was brought before the magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam in southeastern city of Chattogram, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. The court was packed and dozens of lawyers stood for him to seek bail.
Since August, Prabhu has led several large rallies demanding safety for the Hindus, as the interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said reports of attacks have been exaggerated.
Many in the interim government see the rallies by Hindus as a threat to stability and a ploy to rehabilitate Hasina and her Awami League party.
The long-ruling secular party is seen as a protector of the Hindu minority and has close ties to neighboring India. Hundreds of Hasina’s supporters, including many close aides, are believed to have fled to India after her fall.
Prabhu is a prominent Hindu leader and a respected figure. He is a member of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group. He is also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Krishna movement, and acts as a spokesman for the group in Bangladesh.
Prabhu’s followers took to the streets in Chattogram and Dhaka to demand his release on Monday.
In Dhaka, a mob armed with sticks attacked Hindu protesters on Monday night at Shahbagh intersection near the Dhaka University.
Kalbela, a Bengali-language daily, said in a video report on Monday night that the attackers drove the Hindu protesters away from the area.
Hasina fled the country on Aug. 5 after a student-led protest morphed into a mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule. The country’s security agencies are struggling to keep order as the police agencies remained demoralized after dozens of their members were killed during the mass uprising in July and August. Bangladesh protesters besiege key newspaper demanding closure (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [11/25/2024 7:12 AM, Staff, 88008K, Neutral]
Protesters in Bangladesh on Monday surrounded the offices of one of the few remaining independent newspapers, Prothom Alo, in the latest mass demonstrations demanding that critical media close.
Government security forces guarding the building held off an angry crowd of around 300 people, a day after protesters were pushed back from storming the offices by a barrage of tear gas canisters.
The country’s largest Bengali-language newspaper faced significant challenges under the previous regime of ousted autocrat Sheikh Hasina, who fled a student-led revolution on August 5 to neighbouring India.
But protesters on Monday accused the newspaper’s journalists of having been supportive of Hasina, something Prothom Alo’s executive editor Sajjad Sharif strongly denied.
"We have consistently upheld the highest professional standards in our work and will continue to do so," he told AFP, recalling a history of "defying harassment" stretching back decades.
The overthrow of Hasina has triggered a spate of protests in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, including a surge in Islamist groups emboldened to take to the streets after years of being suppressed.
Chanting protesters accused the daily of an alleged "anti-Islam" and "pro-India" bias, with many demanding its immediate shutdown.
Outside Dhaka, protesters also targeted the newspaper’s office in the city of Rajshahi, and marched through the streets of the port city of Chittagong.
It follows protests earlier this month that targeted Dhaka’s English-language Daily Star.
Protester Alif Bin Labib Shuvo, 20, a student injured during anti-Hasina protests in July, alleged that both Prothom Alo and the Daily Star seek to "destabilise" Bangladesh.
"If they don’t change their current strategy, they should be closed," said Mir Farhad, 35, another protester.
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus has repeatedly insisted he wants media freedom.
Press watchdogs say dozens of journalists -- seen by critics as having supported Hasina when she was in power -- face police investigations in apparent retaliation for their past work.
At least four are in custody, accused of inciting the killing of protesters in the days before Hasina’s downfall.
Reporters Without Borders say as many has 140 journalists are facing police investigations into violence, calling it "systematic judicial harassment".
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists this month urged reforms to guarantee press freedom at "this critical juncture in the country’s history". Nepal PM heads to China ahead of India, breaking tradition (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [11/25/2024 7:00 PM, Deepak Adhikari, 2376K, Negative]
Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will visit China next week, bypassing a tradition in which the country’s leaders make India their first foreign trip after taking office and raising the geopolitical stakes for the Himalayan nation.During his visit from Dec. 2 to 6, Oli is expected to request a waiver for the $216 million loan for Pokhara International Airport, which was built with loans from the Chinese government. The country’s third international airport has not attracted any international flights since its inauguration in January 2023.Oli also aims to negotiate projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. However, his coalition is divided over whether to accept loans or pursue grants for the projects.Nepal joined the BRI in 2017 under a coalition government between the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists Centre). More recently, however, there have been concerns from NC politicians about falling into a Chinese debt trap.Moreover, the current coalition -- Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and NC -- harbors divergent views on the matter that could hamper the prime minister’s attempt to finalize BRI projects."If the Nepali Congress disagrees on the financial modality of the BRI, Oli wouldn’t be keen on going ahead with agreements," Bishnu Rijal, a central committee member of the Unified Marxist-Leninist party, told Nikkei Asia.However, Sudheer Sharma, an author and analyst on China-Nepal relations, said the NC’s opposition was a reaction to China’s earlier aggressive strategies and it might be waning. "Beijing’s preference for a communist government and the international dynamics forced the Nepali Congress to adopt a more assertive policy towards China," he said. "Now, China seems to have realized the shortcomings of its past adventurism in Nepal."Nepal and China made significant agreements, including a trade and transit pact, during Oli’s previous terms as prime minister, who sought to reduce his country’s dependence on India. Now in his third term, Oli has been trying to build on this legacy, according to Sharma. "Oli has been a key figure in shaping Nepal-China relations," Sharma said. "He seems intent on preserving this legacy, especially now with a coalition partner like the Nepali Congress, known for its proximity to India."New Delhi, meanwhile, has been reluctant to engage with Oli, who twice has formally invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kathmandu."India seems to want to determine the agendas of the visit, the way it did with former Prime Minister [Pushpa Kamal] Dahal," Rijal told Nikkei. "New Delhi is aware of crucial agendas, such as border encroachment, [that] Oli would raise in India -- issues it doesn’t want to discuss."In 2020, during his second term, from February 2018 to May 2021, Oli frayed ties by including contested territory in Nepal’s northwest regions of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani on its official map. Relations further deteriorated this past May, when Nepal decided to feature the map on its new 100-rupee notes.Following a critical power-sharing deal between the country’s two largest parties -- the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the Nepali Congress -- Oli formed a coalition government in July after the NC withdrew support for Dahal, chair of the Maoists.Capitalizing on public resentment toward India following a 2015 border blockade, Oli’s Unified Marxist-Leninist party formed a left alliance with the Maoists, securing a landslide electoral victory in 2017. The two parties unified in 2018 but split after Oli and Dahal in 2020 bickered about how to share power. At the time, Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi’s offer to mediate was criticized as an attempt to interfere in Nepal’s internal affairs.The Unified Marxist-Leninist party’s Rijal underscored the need for Nepal to balance its relations with its neighbors. "Nepal should avoid antagonizing or overly aligning with either India or China," he said. "India’s primary concerns include managing open borders, cross-border terrorism and counterfeit currency smuggling, while China aims to enhance connectivity with Tibet and foster strong government relations in Kathmandu."As Oli prepares for his third trip to China, observers are advising the prime minister to put Nepal’s interests front and center. Sanjeev Satgainya, a columnist for The Kathmandu Post, recently wrote, "His China sojourn could go beyond simply breaking the so-called custom of prioritizing one neighbor over the other; it might even pave the way for a new approach. But this must be done in the best interest of Nepal, not to satisfy personal pride or vanity." Sri Lanka’s central bank likely to resume rate cuts to foster growth (Reuters)
Reuters [11/25/2024 5:50 AM, Uditha Jayasinghe, 37270K, Positive]
Sri Lanka’s central bank is expected to renew easing of interest rates on Wednesday, with a reduction of a quarter percentage point, as it looks to boost economic growth during the island nation’s recovery from a lingering financial crisis.The median estimate in a Reuters poll of 13 analysts and economists predicts the central bank will reduce the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) by 25 basis points each to 8% and 9%, respectively."This is the perfect time to do monetary easing," said Dimantha Mathew, head of research at First Capital."There is economic recovery but trickledown to middle and lower levels has been pretty slow. So we need some amount of stimulation."A severe shortfall of dollars spun Sri Lanka’s economy into a deep financial crisis two years ago, contracting growth by 7.3% in 2022 and forcing a default on foreign debt.In recent months, however, a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund, coupled with domestic measures and reforms, helped push up the rupee currency 11.3%, while inflation has disappeared, with prices falling 0.8% last month.The economy is expected to grow 4.4% this year, for its first increase in three years, the World Bank has estimated.The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is considering moving towards a single policy rate mechanism to ensure better signalling of its policy stance, Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said in early 2024, but there has been no formal announcement yet.Six of the 13 respondents said they expect CBSL to start announcing a single policy rate, likely to be set at 8.25%.CBSL last cut rates in July but the current easing cycle that started in June 2023 has seen rates cut by a total of 7.25 percentage points, partially reversing the increases of 10.50 percentage points following the financial crisis.Hoping to cement a stronger economic recovery, millions of Sri Lankans voted to give new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s coalition a landslide victory in a general election this month.That sets the stage for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to greenlight the fourth tranche of the $2.9-billion bailout.An interim budget is expected to be presented in parliament and Dissanayake hopes to complete the debt restructuring by the end of December. Central Asia
COP29: Central Asian states losing arable land (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [11/25/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
Agricultural land in Central Asia and the Caucasus is degrading at an alarming rate. Officials did a lot of handwringing about the issue during a roundtable at the recently completed COP29 environmental conclave. But in highlighting urgent needs, participants didn’t proffer many ideas about how to mitigate the myriad challenges.
Globally, about 40 percent of agricultural land is vulnerable to degradation, Azerbaijan’s agriculture minister, Majnun Mammadov, stated in his opening remarks at the roundtable, adding as much as 12 million acres of arable land around the world becomes unproductive every year.
Conditions are particularly acute in Tajikistan, where almost one-third of the country’s agricultural land is in “critical condition,” according to a report published by the Asia-Plus news agency. But such challenges as deforestation, soil salinization and over-grazing are threatening other Central Asian states too, especially Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Citing UN data, the Asia-Plus report stated that 39 percent of Central Asia’s landmass is experiencing drought.
In presenting a plan to introduce water-conserving and soil-monitoring technologies in Uzbekistan, the country’s ecology minister, Aziz Abdukhakimov, exuded a sense of urgency. “We must act quickly and decisively, otherwise we will leave only deserts for future generations,” he stated. Participants agreed that a multilateral approach was needed to address soil degradation, but no specific initiatives to promote joint action were discussed.
Even if plans had been worked out to address problems, Central Asian states lack the funds to fully implement them on their own. And that situation doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon. Developing nations say substantive climate action will take over $1 trillion per year in funding from wealthy nations. Yet, after prolonged and, at times, bitter negotiations at COP29 in Baku, wealthy nations agreed to commit $300 billion annually to address global-warming related issues, including soil degradation.
That figure marks a substantial increase over the $100 billion that wealthy nations had previously pledged to commit to help developing countries adapt to global warming conditions. But somehow everyone departed Baku full of hard feelings. Developing nations accused the globally rich of being cheap. At the same time, many wealthy nations, especially the United States and European Union members, were angry that economically advanced states, such as China and Saudi Arabia, claimed to still be developing countries not obligated to make any contribution to the COP climate action fund.
The causes of soil degradation are not new, with many linked to global warming. A report published by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in 2022 also identified several man-made factors contributing to the loss of farmland and pasture across Central Asia, including an overreliance on cotton cultivation and inefficient irrigation practices.
The cumulative effects of soil degradation are heightening social challenges across the region, acting as a “significant trigger” for migration from the countryside to cities, resulting in increases in air pollution, according to the UN report. It also cautioned that a vicious cycle of social harm, fueling a decline in living standards in Central Asia, is taking hold.“Land degradation, combined with increasing anthropogenic pressure caused by population growth and density, leads to a decrease in the availability of productive land and water resources, a drop in crop yields and livestock productivity,” UN study states. Central Asia’s Green Transition Goals Highlighted at COP29 (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [11/25/2024 12:33 PM, Nigel Li, 1198K, Neutral]
Central Asia’s Green Transition Goals Highlighted at COP29Although Central Asia has demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, the path to a “green transition” remains fraught with obstacles.Beyond the protests of green activists and the withdrawal of Argentina’s delegation, the issues raised at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, will persist long after the summit concludes. Just across the Caspian Sea, Central Asian states are acutely aware of the environmental challenges facing their region.Water scarcity remains a pressing issue as agricultural over-extraction depletes vital water sources. The drying up of the Aral Sea has created a salt desert of 5.5 million hectares and produces 100 million tons of dust and toxic salt. Meanwhile, poor irrigation practices have led to soil salinization, particularly in Uzbekistan, degrading land quality, and diminishing agricultural productivity.Tajikistan, which generates 97 percent of its energy from hydropower, suffers from routine domestic electricity shortages and power cuts. This has prompted the country to fire up coal power plants to satisfy the demands of Dushanbe’s re-industrialization, worsening the country’s air quality.The effort to overcome these environmental issues is further complicated by Central Asia’s heavy reliance on oil and gas for economic growth, making a transition to sustainable and green energy increasingly challenging.Kazakhstan Takes the LeadAs the most industrialized of the Central Asian states, Kazakhstan has reaffirmed its commitment to a green transition. The country adopted a Green Economy Plan in 2013 with the aim of generating 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. It has also adopted a strategy to become a carbon neutral country by 2060 with an interim goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.Efforts are underway to reduce coal’s share in energy generation from 69 percent to 40 percent while increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix from 3 percent to 15 percent. Kazakhstan has also reportedly planted 843 million trees between 2021 and 2023 and aims to plant 2 billion by 2027.With a mining industry that represents 20 percent of the country’s total exports, the demand for “critical minerals” will continue to rise as countries seek resources necessary for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines. In May, Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to modernize the country’s mining sector.On October 6, over 70 percent of Kazakhstan’s citizens voted in favor of constructing a nuclear power plant, giving the country an increased set of options to reduce coal dependence and improve energy security.“Kazakhstan has made it clear that, as the largest economy in the region, it is committed to being a climate leader,” said Kamal Aubakirov, a graduate student from Georgetown University specializing in Eurasia and energy policy who attended the COP29 summit. “The country is strategically expanding its international presence in multilateral spaces, recognizing shifting dynamics in global affairs and positioning itself for a more influential role on the world stage.”Central Asia at COP29At COP29, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that Central Asia, despite contributing just 1 percent of global emissions, faces significant climate risks. He emphasized the need for advanced technologies, such as AI and satellite monitoring, for more effective land and water management.Special Representative for International Environmental Cooperation Zulfiya Suleimenova announced that Kazakhstan will strive to complete the development of regulatory acts on methane, aiming to reduce non-emergency methane venting and promote leak detection and repair in the oil and gas sector, as well as to finalize the National Program for Methane Emissions Reduction by COP 30 in 2025.Minister of Ecology Yerlan Nyssanbayev introduced Kazakhstan’s carbon farming initiative at the summit, focusing on transforming agriculture into a carbon-absorbing sector to help mitigate climate impacts and restore degraded land. Equipped with 200 million hectares of agricultural land, Tokayev has invited international investment into Kazakhstan’s carbon farming sector as path to sustainable agriculture.The Kazakh leader also expressed his support for a group of Experts for the Caspian Sea, initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, while reaffirming Kazakhstan’s intensified efforts to preserve the Aral Sea.“President Tokayev’s presence was particularly prominent,” observed Aubakirov. “Whether giving speeches or visiting Kazakhstan’s national pavilion, he commanded attention throughout the Baku Olympic Stadium. Additionally, Kazakhstan secured significant agreements, including a $2.5 billion investment commitment from China for energy and infrastructure projects.”Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov underscored the urgent need to address the vulnerability of mountain regions to climate change, particularly their impact on water resources.Currently, the Central Asian states are exploring ways to coordinate renewable energy projects, including integrating energy grids between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The three countries signed a strategic partnership agreement for green energy development and transmission, including the joint construction of a clean energy cable beneath the Caspian Sea to export renewable energy to European markets. At the COP29 summit, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held the first Energy Transition Investment Forum for Central Asia, signaling increased multilateral engagement focusing on the region.Challenges AheadAlthough Central Asia has demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, the path to a “green transition” remains fraught with obstacles. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in particular are heavily dependent on fossil fuels, creating economic disincentives to transition to renewable energy. Meanwhile, transboundary water conflicts remain an issue that must be resolved in order to open the possibility for sustainable water management. In this context, France and Kazakhstan will co-host the One Water Summit in December, which aims to tackle global water governance issues.The transition to sustainable energy will also require substantial improvements in technology and infrastructure. While China may be a willing provider of such investments, it is in the region’s long-term interests to continue to diversify partnerships and raise Central Asia’s profile to attract broader international cooperation.As great power competition intensifies and politicizes initiatives like the international environmental agenda, Central Asia cannot rely on external actors to seek solutions on its behalf. This is an era where regions must advocate for themselves and pursue avenues of cooperation to achieve their ambitious goals.“Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan were quite vocal about their presence at COP29,” noted Aubakirov. “The growing divide between the ‘Global North’ and the ‘Global South’ is becoming increasingly apparent.” U.A.E. Names Three Uzbek Nationals as Suspects in Rabbi’s Murder (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [11/25/2024 5:50 PM, Rory Jones and Dov Lieber, 810K, Neutral]
The United Arab Emirates named three Uzbek nationals as suspects in the killing of a Jewish community leader in the Gulf state, an incident that has raised concerns about security for Jews in the Arab world.
Israel described the killing of Israeli-Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, whose body was found Sunday, as an “act of antisemitic terrorism.” The 28-year-old was a rabbi and an emissary of the Jewish Chabad movement to Abu Dhabi, where he lived with his wife.
Emirati authorities said Sunday that three individuals had been arrested in connection with Kogan’s death. On Monday, they named the three suspects as Olimpi Tohirovic, 28, Mahmudjun Abdurrahim, 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33.
Emirati authorities said they had begun a legal process to charge the individuals. The U.A.E. statement included pictures of the suspects in handcuffs and blue prison clothes, their faces each covered by a black mask.
It wasn’t clear if lawyers had been appointed to represent the men. The Uzbek Embassy in Abu Dhabi didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The three suspects were first arrested in Turkey, after fleeing there from the U.A.E., according to a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Israel had evidence at least some of those responsible for the killing had fled to Turkey.
The U.A.E. foreign ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Israeli officials had initially suspected the Uzbek nationals were tied to Iran, the Journal reported. Kogan went missing from Dubai on Thursday afternoon, prompting an investigation by Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Israeli investigators believe the Uzbek suspects were guns for hire, though it isn’t clear yet who directed the killing and no direct connection has been found to Iran, said an Israeli official.
Iran’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi has denied allegations of Tehran’s involvement in Kogan’s death.
Israel and Iran this year have engaged in a series of exchanges of missile fire that have thrust a yearslong shadow war into the open. Following the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza, Israel has intensified a campaign against Iran’s militant allies in the Middle East, directly drawing in Tehran.
Amid the tensions, Israel had warned its citizens and Jews that they might be the target of attacks abroad by Iran or Iran-linked groups. Israel told its citizens to limit foreign travel and minimize openly identifying themselves as Israeli or Jewish. Israel’s National Security Council said on Sunday that it believes there is a continuing threat to Israelis and Jews in the Persian Gulf.
The killing of a religious leader has shocked the small Jewish community in the U.A.E., an oil-rich confederation of seven sheikhdoms. The community flourished after the Gulf state led a series of diplomatic agreements establishing ties with Israel in 2020, though it has kept a lower profile during the Gaza war. Many Jews had argued they were safer in the authoritarian Muslim state than in Europe.
The U.A.E., an autocratic monarchy where dissent isn’t tolerated, prides itself on religious tolerance and a business-friendly environment open to every nationality. Nine out of 10 people in the country of roughly 10 million are foreigners. “Zvi Kogan’s murder was more than a crime in the U.A.E. It was a crime against the U.A.E.,” Yousef Al Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the U.S. who helped negotiate the diplomatic accords with Israel, wrote on X. “It was an attack on our homeland, on our values and on our vision.”
Israeli authorities flew Kogan’s body to Israel Monday for burial.
Israeli and U.A.E. authorities’ investigation into Kogan began on Thursday when he didn’t arrive at planned meetings and the people expecting him informed Rivky Kogan, his wife. She turned to the security officer of the Chabad in the Emirates, who contacted local authorities for help. The U.A.E. eventually brought Israel into the investigation, the Journal reported.The depth of cooperation remains unclear. The two countries lauded their relationship following the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2020. But relations have become frostier since Israel’s war in Gaza. U.A.E. statements on the killing of Kogan have so far only noted his Moldovan nationality.
Israel has had long-running concerns about Iranian state actors trying to kill or abduct its citizens abroad. Iranian intelligence agents moved to kill Israeli tourists in Turkey in 2022, in a plot uncovered by Israeli and Turkish authorities.
Iran has also tried to kill Israeli diplomats, and Iran’s closely linked group, Hezbollah, attempted to kill a former Israeli defense minister. Israel in August issued a rare travel warning against visiting countries that border Iran, amid threats that Iran-linked actors would try to harm Israelis. Twitter
Afghanistan
Suhail Shaheen@suhailshaheen1
[11/25/2024 12:30 PM, 737.6K followers, 37 retweets, 184 likes]
The Ministry of PV, PV, Dept of Complaints and Grievances has registered 20,000 complaints regarding women’s inheritance etc in the past 3 years, restoring them their rights. Also, they have prevented 5,000 forced marriages and taken actions against women’s domestic violence.
Suhail Shaheen@suhailshaheen1
[11/25/2024 7:18 AM, 737.6K followers, 18 retweets, 88 likes]
Artefacts of Afghanistan’s National Museum speak volumes for the talent, skill and hard work of the Afghan people:
Jahanzeb Wesa@JahanzebWesa
[11/26/2024 2:53 AM, 4.7K followers, 4 likes]
Taliban have censored books and banned women from studying. In protest, Afghan women are sharing videos of themselves reading, declaring that no one can stop them from learning. Rahil Talash WHRDs have also joined this protest and she has started studying books. #StopBookBurning
Jahanzeb Wesa@JahanzebWesa
[11/25/2024 1:40 PM, 4.7K followers, 18 retweets, 40 likes]
Richard Bennett, UN representative for Afghanistan, condemns the Taliban for rolling back human rights, targeting women, girls, LGBTQ+, and minorities, and creating a system of discrimination and oppression that amounts to crimes against humanity. #HumanRights #afghanatalan #UN
Jahanzeb Wesa@JahanzebWesa[11/25/2024 11:49 AM, 4.7K followers, 6 retweets, 7 likes]
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 25 November, Afghan women, both inside and outside the country, are raising their voices for their rights and freedoms despite Taliban repression. They are bravely standing against deprivation and violence.
Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office@amnestysasia
[11/25/2024 7:24 AM, 94K followers, 67 retweets, 116 likes]
Afghan women are frustrated of the weak and selective role the international community has played to address the Taliban’s trample down of their human rights. Afghan women are demanding effective strategies and actions to bring an end to their catastrophic conditions. Sign our petition where we are calling on international community to put their words into actions: https://amnesty.org/en/petition/break-the-silence-end-human-rights-violations-in-afghanistan/ #Endgenderpersecution #16DaysOfActivism
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[11/25/2024 10:15 PM, 244.8K followers, 18 retweets, 46 likes]
For 1,198 days, the Taliban have enforced a regime of gender apartheid on Afghan women, depriving them of basic rights. Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[11/25/2024 9:37 AM, 6.7M followers, 151 retweets, 387 likes]
On #InternationalDayForTheEliminationOfViolenceAgainstWomen, we reaffirm our commitment to a Pakistan where women live with dignity & safety. Violence against women is a not only a grave human rights violation but also a profound obstacle to the progress and prosperity of our nation. To this end, my government stands committed towards strengthening our legal frameworks to combat gender-based violence, ensuring strict enforcement of existing laws including protection against harassment of women at workplace act, and creating accessible mechanisms for justice.
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[11/25/2024 9:09 AM, 6.7M followers, 1K retweets, 4.1K likes]
Delighted to welcome my dear friend H.E. Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of Republic of Belarus to Islamabad. Looking forward to our discussions during this important visit. Pakistan and Belarus enjoy strong fraternal relations and we will work together to further strengthen these ties.
Zalmay Khalilzad@realZalmayMK
[11/25/2024 6:05 PM, 235.9K followers, 16K retweets, 29K likes]
Shooting civilians for peacefully expressing their will--disgraceful. The military’s code of honor should not allow such violence against their own people. #Pakistan
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[11/26/2024 2:24 AM, 74.4K followers, 40 retweets, 166 likes]
The #PTIProtest is now with its head at Faisal Avenue about 7KMs from D-Chowk - Police and rangers at D-chowk are standing guard to clash/prevent them from getting to D-Chowk -- The marchers/protesters don’t seem to stop.
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[11/25/2024 10:26 PM, 74.4K followers, 37 retweets, 122 likes]
Government has called in the military under article 245A for action in aid of the civil government following PTI protesters having entered Islamabad in huge numbers who demand the release of Imran Khan — at least five security personnel have been killed as yet in clashes.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[11/25/2024 10:58 PM, 43K followers, 17 retweets, 126 likes]
The challenge the Pakistani state faces is political; the solution must also be political. Force won’t solve a thing.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[11/25/2024 1:39 PM, 43K followers, 143 retweets, 531 likes]
It would be a mistake not to watch what is happening in Pakistan right now and in the days ahead. Huge opposition protests heading into Islamabad despite a state crackdown.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/25/2024 8:48 AM, 215.9K followers, 777 retweets, 1.9K likes]
I’m quoted here by @humza_jilani on the protests in Pakistan: "This is a case of a critical mass of the population rejecting any notion of a public mandate for the government." https://www.ft.com/content/3ebc4578-071e-4132-a75c-a7224dc61dba
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/25/2024 8:48 AM, 215.9K followers, 311 retweets, 703 likes]
Protestors "are coming out to call for Khan’s release and condemn the government’s policies, but at the root of their anger is what they regard as an illegitimate government." India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 10:52 PM, 103.8M followers, 1.8K retweets, 14K likes]
Shri Shashikant Ruia Ji was a colossal figure in the world of industry. His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence transformed the business landscape of India. He also set high benchmarks for innovation and growth. He was always full of ideas, always discussing how we can make our country better. Shashi Ji’s demise is deeply saddening. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 10:34 PM, 103.8M followers, 1.7K retweets, 9.8K likes]
Better infrastructure is about connecting dreams and accelerating progress. The Cabinet approval to three major rail projects will benefit Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It will boost development along the busy sections between Mumbai and Prayagraj. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2077116
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 10:34 PM, 103.8M followers, 1.7K retweets, 8.3K likes]
The National Mission on Natural Farming, which has been approved by the Cabinet, marks a transformative shift in Indian agriculture. Through this effort, we are nurturing soil health, protecting biodiversity and securing our agricultural future. It reaffirms our commitment to sustainable farming and prosperity for farmers. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2077094
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 10:33 PM, 103.8M followers, 4.5K retweets, 24K likes]
Game-changer for Indian academia and for youth empowerment! The Cabinet has approved ‘One Nation One Subscription’, which will strengthen our efforts to become a hub for research, learning and knowledge. It will also encourage interdisciplinary studies. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2077097
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 10:32 PM, 103.8M followers, 1.2K retweets, 5.1K likes]
The Cabinet decision relating to the continuation of Atal Innovation Mission reflects our government’s unwavering commitment to fostering innovation. This Mission continues to enhance India’s progress in sectors like science, technology and industry. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2077101
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/25/2024 5:46 AM, 103.8M followers, 3.5K retweets, 15K likes]
Addressing the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024.
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[11/25/2024 10:20 PM, 26.1M followers, 697 retweets, 3.1K likes]
On the anniversary of cowardly terror attacks in Mumbai on 26th November 2008, I join the entire nation in paying homage to the bravehearts who lost their lives and expressing solidarity with their families. A grateful nation salutes its valiant security personnel who made ultimate sacrifice while protecting our people. It is also the day to reiterate that India remains firmly committed to defeating terrorism in all its forms.
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[11/25/2024 7:54 AM, 26.1M followers, 352 retweets, 2.1K likes]
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal and Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi called on President Droupadi Murmu and extended an invitation to attend the event commemorating 75 years of adoption of the Constitution of India, on the occasion of Samvidhan Divas tomorrow, in the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[11/26/2024 2:21 AM, 3.3M followers, 47 retweets, 323 likes]
As we mark #75YearsOfConstitution of India, recall immense contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar and all the architects of the constitution. It’s ideals and values have guided transformative governance in last decade under the leadership of PM @narendramodi. NSB
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh@BDMOFA
[11/25/2024 10:47 AM, 56.9K followers, 4 retweets, 57 likes]
During the meeting with US Tripartite Labour Delegation @BDMOFA, Foreign Secretary highlighted reform measures including BLA revision, 18-point deal, & ILO Roadmap. US Delegates lauded the efforts and pledged support for fair wages, pricing, skilled labour growth. #Bangladesh #US
Jon Danilowicz@JonFDanilowicz
[11/25/2024 11:48 AM, 9.6K followers, 53 retweets, 322 likes]
This is a challenging period for #Bangladesh’s interim government. Agents of the ousted regime are actively trying to destabilize the country and rewrite history. The BNP has stepped up pressure for early elections. Fissures have appeared among those who united to fight the Hasina dictatorship. While all these factors were predictable, together they present a challenge to the IG. At the same time, polls show there remains broad popular support for the interim government’s accountability and reform agenda. Only the direct beneficiaries of the Hasina regime want to see it return. The BNP’s public statements have not been matched by the behavior of its grass roots. Army rule is not an option. Given this, the IG’s focus should be on delivering on the reform agenda. Those who opposed the Hasina dictatorship and don’t want to see it return must set aside their differences and work with the IG to set conditions for elections. Bangladesh’s international friends should also support these efforts. Building a new Bangladesh was never going to be easy, but those who put love of country first need to unite against the forces of darkness.
Sabria Chowdhury Balland@sabriaballand
[11/25/2024 7:53 PM, 7.4K followers, 4 retweets, 7 likes]
The #Bangladesh law enforcement can detain any Bangladeshi if it has valid reasons to do so on Bangladeshi soil, regardless of religion. India will lie about the ISCKON incident. But it must be exposed that this organization has a very nefarious Islamophobic agenda.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[11/25/2024 9:04 AM, 138.4K followers, 21 retweets, 289 likes]
It was an honour to welcome Ms. Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister of the IDCPC, to the Presidential Secretariat today (25). Her congratulations on our election victories and China’s readiness to collaborate with Sri Lanka are deeply appreciated. Together, we look forward to building partnerships in investments, technology, rural development, and education. Grateful for China’s steadfast support.
M U M Ali Sabry@alisabrypc
[11/25/2024 8:52 AM, 7.7K followers, 16 retweets, 68 likes]
In my view, Dr. Maheepala performed commendably as Health Secretary and so was Vice Chancellor of Ruhuna University. When public officials execute their duties effectively and with accountability, it is inevitable that certain unions, accustomed to operating without checks, may oppose them. If decisions to replace such senior officials are influenced by union pressure, it sets a concerning precedent. Yielding to unions in such instances undermines accountability and compromises the integrity of decision-making.
Karu Jayasuriya@KaruOnline
[11/25/2024 8:48 PM, 53.7K followers, 2 retweets, 11 likes]
The President’s #CleanSriLanka mission has great potential to uplift the country’s image. Cleaner, safe and accessible public spaces are achievable with active local support. But progress needs leadership, will, and action—like addressing Galle’s stray cattle issue. Central Asia
UNODC Central Asia@UNODC_ROCA
[11/25/2024 8:09 AM, 2.5K followers, 1 retweet, 2 likes]
"Fighting the spread of violent extremism in prisons is a global challenge," said Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Justice at today’s conference in Bishkek. Supported by @UNODC, experts discussed de-radicalization, rehabilitation, and strengthening the safety of prison systems.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[11/25/2024 12:01 PM, 206.2K followers, 6 retweets, 26 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev reviewed plans to boost food security, increase crop yields, and modernize agricultural management amid limited resources and a growing population. Emphasis was placed on efficient land use, advanced technologies, modern farmer training, adopting high-yield crops and sustainable strategies to enhance productivity.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[11/25/2024 9:31 AM, 206.2K followers, 6 retweets, 28 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev evaluated the current development of the automotive industry and reviewed strategic objectives set for 2025. The sector demonstrates steady progress through increased production volumes, expanded export potential, and reinforced partnerships with regional enterprises.
Bakhtiyor Saidov@FM_Saidov
[11/26/2024 1:47 AM, 14K followers, 3 retweets, 11 likes]
Glad to welcome the Special Representative of the @UN Secretary-General for #CentralAsia, Head of @UNRCCA H.E. @KahaImnadze, Special Representative of the @UN Secretary-General for #Afghanistan and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (@UNAMAnews) H.E. Roza Otunbayeva, and KZ KG TJ TM deputy foreign ministers. #CentralAsia remains the top priority in #Uzbekistan’s foreign policy. Deepening political dialogue, economic integration, environmental cooperation, transport connectivity, people-to-people ties, partnership on #Afghanistan were on our today’s agenda.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[11/26/2024 1:02 AM, 23.8K followers, 1 like]
Uzbekistan: As we wrapped up our Bukhara workshop on #SolutionsJournalism Module 2, U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Henick @UsAmbUzbekistan @usembtashkent joined us virtually for an informal conversation. He had previously conducted an in-person session with our Tashkent group during Module 1 in July. 1/2
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[11/26/2024 1:02 AM, 23.8K followers, 1 like]
Talking with @UsAmbUzbekistan @usembtashkent, our trainees shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about @USAGMgov seminars and offered suggestions on how the U.S. could further assist media development and professional journalism in Uzbekistan. Ambassador Henick reiterated that Washington remains committed to providing assistance in this field, recognizing it as a critical component of its support for Uzbekistan’s reform process. 2/2
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[11/25/2024 4:47 AM, 23.8K followers, 3 likes]
Uzbekistan: Andrew Lehren @CUNY @NBCNews @nytimes @CNN offered impeccable master classes on storytelling for our Uzbek colleagues we @USAGMgov brought together in Ferghana, Tashkent, and Bukhara this month. Most represented the leading media outlets in the country, while some were freelancers and journalism instructors.{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.