SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Wednesday, September 18, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Afghanistan reopens its embassy in Oman, the Taliban say (AP)
AP [9/17/2024 9:21 AM, Staff, 31638K, Positive]
Afghanistan’s Embassy in Oman has reopened, an official in Kabul said Tuesday, the latest sign of the growing inclusion of the Taliban among Gulf Arab countries following the United Arab Emirates’ acceptance of a Taliban ambassador last month.
The development also comes after the Taliban said in July that they no longer recognize diplomatic missions set up by the former, Western-backed government. Most countries still have not accepted the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
According to Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Kabul, the embassy in Muscat, Oman’s capital, resumed operations on Sunday.
There was no immediate confirmation from Omani authorities and no reports from the sultanate’s state-run news agency about the embassy’s reopening.
"The work of the embassy is carried out regularly by diplomats of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," said Takal, using the Taliban name for their government.
"The resumption of embassy activities in cooperation with the host country will play a constructive role in strengthening the political, economic, social and religious relations between Kabul and Muscat," Takal added.
The Foreign Ministry said that 39 diplomatic missions are now under Taliban control.
There is a deepening divide in the international community on how to deal with the Taliban, who have been in power for three years and face no internal or external opposition. And even though the Taliban and the West remain at loggerheads, Afghanistan’s rulers have pursued bilateral ties with major regional powers.
Last month, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov arrived in Afghanistan in the highest-level visit by a foreign official since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
As part of expanding their reach, the Taliban have moved to take control of the country’s embassies and consulates overseas.
The embassies in London and Oslo announced their closures this month, while others in Europe and beyond have continued to operate.
Oman has maintained a strict neutrality, often acting as a go-between for Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia and its regional rival, Shiite-majority Iran. Most of Oman’s population are Ibadi Muslims, a more liberal offshoot of Islam predating the Sunni-Shiite split. Taliban curbs on women add to risk of polio outbreak, health officials warn (The Guardian)
The Guardian [9/17/2024 12:42 PM, Ruchi Kumar, 92374K, Negative]
Afghanistan is at risk of a polio outbreak, health officials have warned, after the Taliban suspended the vaccination campaign over security fears and restrictions on women.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 18 new cases of polio infection in the country so far this year, a significant increase from the six cases reported in 2023. Local healthcare workers say these numbers could be higher as many cases will not yet have been detected.
The Taliban had "temporarily suspended" polio vaccinations in Afghanistan, a health official involved with the campaign confirmed to the Guardian, because of security concerns and women’s involvement in administering vaccines.
A highly infectious viral disease, polio can cause paralysis and death, particularly in infants and young children.
"The reason behind the postponing of the polio campaign is the issues with the modality of implementation," the health official explained on condition of anonymity. "The leadership of the current government has ordered us to not conduct door-to door campaigns."
Instead, the Taliban government wants to shift vaccination efforts to local mosques, with the expectation that families would bring their children to get doses.
"This is very bad news for the polio programme," the official said. "For the eradication to be successful, we need to cover more than 95% of the children with two doses of the vaccine.
"But without the door-to-door campaigns, we will not be able to reach [that target]. It puts the whole country at risk, even the region."
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining countries in the world where the polio virus is endemic.
"One of the reasons for banning door-to-door campaigns was security. The south, especially Kandahar, is where the Taliban leaders live, and they are concerned the campaigns could reveal their locations to foreign threats," the official said.
Fake vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan were reportedly used by US intelligence agencies to identify and confirm terrorist hideouts, including those of Osama bin Laden. This led to massive mistrust of the campaigns across the region, with several attacks on polio workers over the past decade.
A local healthcare worker in Kandahar said that door-to-door vaccination was already banned in southern Afghanistan.
"In Kandahar and even in parts of Uruzgan province, vaccinations have been taking place only in the local mosques for many years now," one of them said.
While the Taliban have banned women from working in various sectors, women in healthcare have largely been allowed to remain in their jobs.
However, the healthcare worker said: "Women in the southern region face restrictions from local authorities in participating in the programme, particularly in the rural areas."
The health official agreed. "Women have been crucial to the success of the door-to-door campaigns and raising awareness of the vaccines among mothers and families since, in a deeply conservative society, men would not be allowed into those spaces," they said.
Of the 18 cases reported this year, 11 are in Kandahar. "In the rest of Afghanistan, there are no issues with female polio workers, and in those areas where we have female workers, we don’t have cases of polio. They are directly responsible for the eradication of polio in those parts," the official added.
"When the Taliban took over, I was happy because I thought now we would have the opportunity to completely remove polio from Kandahar," said one 23-year-old former female polio worker, who asked to be identified only as Farhanaz.
"I was eager to travel to remote regions if needed to administer the vaccines. But when I faced restrictions, I was heartbroken," she said.
Farhanaz said she had been working with the local vaccination campaign since she was a teenager but was forced to resign shortly after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
"Our work was crucial and effective. Preventing us [women] from doing our job will hurt the country and our children will suffer for no fault of theirs," she warned.
The WHO has been approached for comment. Taliban’s Attack on Girls’ Education Harming Afghanistan’s Future (Human Rights Watch)
Human Rights Watch [9/17/2024 4:01 PM, Sahar Fetrat, Negative]
September 17 marks three years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan, shortly after their return to power in August 2021. While the issue of Afghan girls’ secondary education has generated much discussion globally, governments and international institutions have yet to take meaningful action to reverse the Taliban’s ban.
The Taliban are systematically attacking women’s rights by depriving girls of a full education, causing long-lasting harm to Afghanistan’s education system and its people. Banning girls beyond grade six from school is a misogynist attack that institutionalizes gender inequality in Afghanistan’s education system. The ban negatively impacts all areas of Afghan life and has dire societal, developmental, and economic consequences for the country’s future. The harm increases with each day the ban remains in place.
With the Taliban’s ban attacking girls’ education, Afghanistan’s future will suffer from a serious lack of doctors, nurses, female teachers, and educated women professionals from various walks of life. This will further undermine women’s role in Afghan society and lead to an unequal, segregated, and impoverished society without women’s meaningful contributions.
Secondary school is an important time of growth and learning for children. The Taliban’s discriminatory ban is depriving at least 1.4 million girls of their right to education. This has taken a psychological and emotional toll on Afghan girls, extinguishing their hopes.
The Taliban are wasting girls’ precious time during the most critical years of their personal and academic development, learning, and growth, just as they wasted five years of girls’ learning time when they were previously in power from 1996 to 2001, for which they were never held accountable. The girls that missed school during those years mostly never fully recovered, and the girls missing school today will also face lifelong and intergenerational consequences.
The Taliban should immediately end their crushing ban on girls’ secondary education and provide safe and quality education for all girls. The international community should press the Taliban to immediately reverse their ban and honor their past pledges to reopen schools for girls. Donor countries should support communities that seek to uphold girls’ right to education and fund online and underground education initiatives run by women. Withdrawal symptoms: Afghan farmers struggle after poppy ban (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [9/17/2024 10:51 PM, Staff, 88008K, Negative]
Asadullah was a prosperous poppy farmer in southern Afghanistan for 20 years until Taliban authorities abruptly began enforcing a long-standing ban on the crop. From four acres (1.6 hectares) in Helmand -- long the heartland of poppy production -- the 65-year-old earned between 250,000 to 500,000 Afghani ($3,500 to $7,000) per season from the plant, which is used to produce opium and heroin.Forced by the authorities to switch to other crops, he is now struggling to make ends meet."We are finished. We don’t have anything to eat for dinner," laments Asadullah, his weathered face and long white beard showing his hardship."Now we barely make 25,000 Afghani."Like his neighbours in the village of Torma -- sweltering in heat and criss-crossed by streams where boys play -- Asadullah first tried planting corn, which failed."We didn’t have money for fertiliser," he said, adding most people turned to the hardier mung bean, which is easier to grow but yields a fraction of the profit of poppy.Growers hit hardThe decree from Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in April 2022 banning poppy production in the world’s top producing country caused a 95 percent drop in harvests last year.But it also hit the growers hard, and according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the eradication of poppy inflicted losses of over a billion dollars on Afghan farmers last year.Lala Khan, 40, switched to growing cotton when it became clear the authorities were determined to enforce the ban -- but his annual income plummeted."We used to eat meat once every three days, now it’s once a month," he says.Khan says he received only "a sack of flour and a sack of fertiliser" as compensation for stopping poppy production."What can we do with that?" he asks.Ehsanullah, another former poppy grower, can barely conceal his anger at his current plight."We buy all our daily needs on credit. And when we harvest, we repay the debts and have nothing left."Secret stashIn the neighbouring village of Khumarai, the local imam known as Bismillah explains that 80 percent of the land in the area was previously used to grow poppy, and 20 percent for wheat, corn, beans and cotton.In Afghanistan, where huge families are the norm, one of the biggest expenses for households is a dowry to marry off daughters."We could pay it with opium, but not with corn and beans," he says.Some people, like Bismillah, still have a stash of poppy resin left over from their last crop -- an Afghan equivalent of cash stuffed under the mattress."Most people keep some at home, but they avoid saying it for fear of thieves," Bismillah says, showing AFP a basin containing around half a kilogram (one pound) of the sticky brown resin."We are waiting for the price to go higher... we are hoping to pay (the dowries) with it".In Maiwand, in the neighbouring province of Kandahar, the former opium market is now deserted and Hunar, 40, has turned to selling sugar, oil, tea and sweets instead."For us, obeying the order of the Emir (the supreme leader) is obligatory," he said.But he warned people were struggling so badly, there was a risk they would return to growing poppy.Not all provinces have been as compliant as Helmand in stopping poppy production.In May, clashes between farmers and brigades sent to destroy their poppy fields resulted in several deaths in northeast Badakhshan."Death to the Emirate (Taliban-ruled Afghanistan)," some shouted in video of the clashes seen on social media.Uncertain futureAccording to the International Crisis Group (ICG), the strict enforcement of the ban has created enormous hardship for a huge swath of rural Afghanistan."Implemented with growing seriousness, the Taliban’s anti-narcotics campaign has profoundly affected a country that ranks among the world’s largest suppliers of illegal drugs," a report released this month said.But it warned the ban’s future was uncertain."Although the Taliban are adamant about implementing it, it could collapse under the weight of economic hardship," it said.The ICG says while huge investment was needed to help farmers produce profitable crops such as pomegranates, figs, almonds, or pistachios, that was still a short-term fix."Licit crops will not offer sufficient employment, so the focus should be on job creation in non-farm industries," the report said.Meanwhile in Maiwand, another former opium seller said while the open market had been shut down, deals were still being made."Everyone has opium," he says."People generally have 10 to 15 kilos of opium from previous harvests, which they only sell to their contacts. It’s sold in small quantities, under the counter." Why Does the Taliban Hate the Women of Afghanistan This Much? (Newsweek – opinion)
Newsweek [9/17/2024 1:11 PM, Hayat Alvi, 49093K, Neutral]
The Taliban represent the worst of religious fascism that is drenched in extreme misogyny for the purpose of allaying their fear of temptations and achieving their fantastical desires to enjoy eternal Paradise, all at the expense of Afghan girls and women. It is imperative that the international community not allow this abomination to continue.
The bare-bones truth is that the Taliban actually fear females, because they are seen as the source of carnal temptations. The Taliban have been indoctrinated in the belief that their ultimate goal in life is to enter Heaven in the afterlife, which can only be achieved by being righteous, pious, and virtuous, and therefore, they must practice what is deemed a virtue while avoiding vice.
The sight of an unveiled woman in public is viewed with fear because she could tempt men to commit sinful acts. Their shot at Heaven would be lost. As a result, the public space-which is men’s domain and where men operate freely-must be cleansed of such temptations. Women pose such threats to "virtuous" men, even though their virtue is enforced at the hands of violent religious police.
In the 21st century, societies around the world are supposed to progress rather than fall backward. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have been steadily pulling Afghanistan back to their vision of the 7th century and the birth of Islam. Their regression encompasses an extreme misogyny so debilitating that suicide rates among girls and women have shot up. The Taliban’s imposition of a violent, horrendously oppressive gender apartheid is an unequivocal crime against humanity. What the Taliban regime is doing to Afghan women is beyond cruel.
But hatred and sexism alone do not explain their ideology, which is based on their twisted interpretation of Islamic law. A number of interrelated factors contribute to the formulation of the Taliban’s anachronistic misogyny, including their deep-seated belief in the physical segregation of the sexes; their view of women as the source of temptations and sinful acts; pure indoctrination in Salafism/Wahhabism by often-illiterate seminary teachers; and the powerful desire to control females and dominate society as the "superior" gender. The latter factor allows the Taliban to enjoy privileges and advantages in all aspects of life, including religion, politics, economic opportunities, and the sociocultural facets of Afghan life.
What better way to be dominant than to impose a totalitarian fascist regime that is cloaked in religion and set in a conservative patriarchal society?
The Taliban are a product of the war of resistance against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the Afghan civil war that befell the country following the Soviets’ withdrawal a decade later. The Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan as the victors of the civil war in 1996. The United States deposed the Taliban regime after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, but the group returned to power in Kabul with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan, with help from Saudi Arabia and the United States, helped build up a force of resistance fighters, called the mujahedeen. Islamic seminaries proliferated in the Afghan-Pakistan border region, where young boys and men-mostly Afghan refugees fleeing the war-were recruited to attend.These seminaries separated the all-male student body from all female relations, including their mothers and sisters. Not only were they physically separated from females, but they were also indoctrinated in the belief that females are the source of temptations and sinful acts, like sex outside of marriage. Further indoctrination in the ultra-orthodox teachings of Wahhabism, which is notorious for its misogyny, ensued. Combined with a Pashtun sense of patriarchy and a male warrior super-ego, these factors have led to the Taliban’s social policies of violent female subjugation, strict gender segregation, the burka-based dress code imposed on girls and women, and the rendering of the Afghan female population invisible especially in the public space.
Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, they have outlawed female education and employment; women are not allowed to show their faces or even speak in public. The Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue has issued numerous laws suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms of Afghan females.
"The Taliban published a host of new ‘vice and virtue’ laws ... approved by their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which state that women must completely veil their bodies-including their faces-in thick clothing at all times in public to avoid leading men into temptation and vice," according to The Guardian. Also, "Prior to the new "vice and virtue" laws, women and girls were already blocked from attending secondary school; banned from almost every form of paid employment; prevented from walking in public parks, attending gyms or beauty salons; and told to comply with a strict dress code. Earlier this year, the Taliban also announced the reintroduction of the public flogging and stoning of women for adultery."
The international community cannot rest while these horrors are being perpetrated against the women and girls of Afghanistan. New sanctions are immediately necessary against the Taliban regime to offer people in the country some hope of a better future. Pakistan
Chinese solar panel boom threatens Pakistan’s debt-ridden grid (Financial Times)
Financial Times [9/17/2024 11:57 PM, Humza Jilani, Neutral]
Businesses in Pakistan are racing to cover their factory rooftops with ultra-cheap Chinese solar panels, after a surge in electricity prices that has made the state-owned power supply among the most expensive in South Asia.“Every bit of space I have, even if it’s a few feet, I want it covered in solar panels,” said Khawaja Masood Akhtar, chief executive of Forward Sports, whose factory near the Indian border is one of the world’s largest makers of footballs, and a rare example of a successful export business.
His company had already doubled the level of solar in its energy mix to 50 per cent over the past two years, in response to pressure to go green from Adidas, which contracts Forward to churn out millions of balls each year.
Akhtar is now ploughing a chunk of last year’s profits into importing another haul of panels from China to lift the share of solar supply to his operations to 80 per cent by next April, to blunt the impact of soaring tariffs for state-provided power.“It’s the only way we can beat our competitors” in China and India, he said. “Allah has given us this gift to get out of this mess.”
China is also involved on the other side of the “mess”. In order to put an end to widespread electricity shortages a decade ago, the Pakistani government drew in billions of dollars from Chinese and other lenders to its power sector with promises of sovereign-backed, dollar-indexed returns and commitments to pay for even unused electricity.
Financing mostly flowed to the coal-fired plants and power tariffs in Pakistan have more than doubled over the past three years alone, as the cash-strapped government scaled back subsidies and passed the capacity payments made to power producers on to consumers.
In response, moneyed Pakistanis have capitalised on the country’s punishingly harsh sunlight by importing some $1.4bn worth of Chinese solar panels in the first half of this year, making it the third largest national destination in the world, according to data compiled by BloombergNEF.
Shimmering blue panels now sit atop a vast array of factories, high-end households, hospitals and mosques.
Irteza Ubaid, chief operating officer of Shams Power, a Lahore-based importer, said that multinational companies in Pakistan, including Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Hyundai, are gobbling up the panels he imports from China, as they chase savings of up to 70 per cent on their electricity bills.
The federal government sees the switch to solar as being in the country’s environmental interests, as climate change has brought more extreme weather including deadly heatwaves and floods, which caused the deaths of more than 1,500 in 2022.
But the mass adoption of solar panels also risks making the power provided by the Pakistani grid “unaffordable”, Awais Leghari, the energy minister, told the Financial Times. ”Demand is shrinking off the grid. That’s a big concern for us.”
Earlier this year, the ministry complained that “solarisation has grown too fast”, as a result of a policy to buy some excess solar power from households and industry at above-market prices.
A remaining estimated 30mn low-income consumers who cannot afford the new solar panels or lack the rooftop space now face rocketing prices for the state-owned power supply.
Local industrial groups complain that energy costs are double those of businesses in India and Bangladesh. Some factories have been forced to shut even as the Pakistani government seeks to boost exports to transform the import-dependent, boom-and-bust economy.
Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst at BloombergNEF, says the cost of panels has halved to about 10 cents per watt, from 24 cents last year.“Electricity prices throughout the country have really gone up, so it’s become economically viable for factories and wealthier households to pay the upfront cost of setting up solar,” she said.
Pakistan pays for 40,000MW of installed power capacity despite its population consuming about half of that per year, and attempts to recoup the cost by passing it on to household electricity bills.
While the investment in power supply has helped to alleviate load shedding, it has saddled it with more than $9bn of mounting debt, analysts and government officials say.
Outstanding payment obligations also limit how much Pakistan can invest towards its goal of increasing the share of solar and wind and hydropower in its energy mix, from about 32 per cent now to 60 per cent by 2030.
This leaves its electricity prices largely remaining tied to gyrations in global market for the fossil fuels that power the majority of its plants.
Rising debts have created a vicious cycle in which ever-increasing power tariffs push wealthier households and businesses to invest in solar panels and reduce the bills they pay to power distributors.
This incentivises those left reliant on the expensive existing grid with the choice of saving money to do the same, or to refuse to pay their bills, said Asha Amirali, a fellow at the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bath.“Chinese [solar panel] imports are contributing to difficulties servicing power debt, including to Chinese investors,” she says.
Power consumption from the expensive grid fell by about 9 per cent last year, as double-digit inflation shredded purchasing power and the climbing bills led people to turn to solar and other off-grid options.
Despite the federal government’s concern about its power network, the provincial government of Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan’s population 240mn, announced in July that it would give away free or heavily subsidised solar panels for millions of citizens struggling with rising electricity bills.
The party that rules Sindh province, with more than 50mn citizens, said last month it would follow suit with a similar policy for its poorest residents.
Leghari said that his government was making efforts to make grid power more affordable by renegotiating with Chinese and domestic investors over the power sector debts, as well as privatising power distribution companies and promoting the electrification of motorcycles, a main mode of transport.“It’s the price of electricity that’s kicking people out of the grid. I don’t blame them, we need to improve ourselves,” he says. A former prime minister facing military trial? Pakistan flirts with risky precedent. (Christian Science Monitor)
Christian Science Monitor [9/17/2024 3:05 PM, Hasan Ali, 658K, Negative]
Speculation that Pakistan’s powerful military is paving the way for former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be tried in a military court is stirring panic in the country of 241 million.A court martial is far from imminent. Mr. Khan has filed a preemptive petition against a possible military trial, which is being heard by the Islamabad High Court, and legal experts are also waiting for Pakistan’s Supreme Court to revisit a 2023 decision that found the military trial of civilians incompatible with the constitution. Either case could present barriers to trying Mr. Khan in a military court. The federal government also weighed in today, telling the High Court that a military trial is not currently under consideration, though the court is demanding a clearer answer by Sept. 24. Yet even the possibility of such a trial has sparked broad backlash.Though it is not uncommon for Pakistani politicians to face prosecution – the last four prime ministers have all served jail time – no prime minister has ever been tried by a military court. If Mr. Khan becomes the first, some experts believe it will lead to violent disorder and sound a death knell for the country’s ailing democracy.Lawyer Salman Akram Raja, who ran in the general election as an affiliate of Mr. Khan’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), notes that military tribunals have over a 99% conviction rate. Trying a civilian leader there “would be a complete travesty of fair play and due process, but it seems that the system here is becoming desperate,” he says, referring to Pakistan’s powerful military establishment and its longstanding feud with Mr. Khan.A case of collusion?The crisis began earlier this month, when officials from both the government and the armed forces alluded to the possibility of a military trial for Mr. Khan. Hypothetically, their case would hinge on former director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence, retired Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who was arrested by the military last month and is facing a court martial for “multiple violations” of the Army Act.The former spymaster, once an aspirant for the position of army chief, has been accused of colluding with Mr. Khan to destabilize the tenure of Gen. Asim Munir, the current head of the Pakistan Army, and of helping to orchestrate the riots of May 9, 2023. The PTI has always maintained that the riots, in which PTI supporters allegedly targeted military installations, were part of a false flag operation conducted to put Mr. Khan behind bars.According to Mr. Raja, the lawyer, Mr. Khan is likely to be accused of assisting Lieutenant General Hameed in planning a mutiny in the armed forces. “That is what they will accuse him of … being an accessory,” he says. “All of this is manufactured, and it’s meant to take Imran Khan away from the normal civilian courts where he’s won case after case.”Veteran journalist Hamid Mir concurs: “The main target is not General Faiz,” he says. “The main target is Imran Khan, and they want to convict him through General Faiz.”But even if there are certain circumstances in which the military can ask to take custody of a civilian suspect, it does not have the power to do so without the approval of the civilian courts.“It’s a very high legal bar and it’s difficult to imagine it would be met here,” says Michael Kugelman, who directs the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, noting how Pakistan’s courts have tried to distance themselves from the military in recent months. “We have seen the judiciary assert itself and defy pressure from the establishment, and that suggests the civilian courts would push back against attempts to try him in a military court.”But that doesn’t mean a military trial is off the cards. A seven-member bench is set to review the Supreme Court’s order against trying civilians in military court – an order that has been provisionally suspended in the past. If those justices choose to reverse the order, as some believe they will, “then legally a military trial becomes possible,” says Mr. Raja.Backlash from Khan campDuring a rally on the outskirts of Islamabad last week, the chief minister of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Ali Amin Gandapur, alluded to the possibility of a siege on the prison where Mr. Khan is being held.“If Imran Khan is not released within the next week or two through legal channels, I swear to God we will have him released ourselves,” he told a rally of charged supporters. “I will lead you, I will take the first bullet.” His comments – which came after Pakistan’s defense minister said “there is ample evidence” against Mr. Khan which "points toward holding his trial in a military court” – sparked a crackdown by authorities, with security officials arresting several parliamentarians from the PTI. Some of these arrests were made on the premises of the National Assembly, which is illegal under Pakistani law, and represents an unprecedented breach of authority.
“No security agency or police can arrest any parliamentarian from within the jurisdiction of the speaker of the national assembly,” says Mr. Mir, the journalist.The unrest comes at a time when the government is on the verge of unlocking a $7 billion financing agreement from the International Monetary Fund, which is expected to approve the loan on Sept. 25. Experts have warned, however, that a protracted period of instability could end up jeopardizing the country’s economic outlook after years of high inflation and disappointing growth.
“Given the fragility of the economy as the country awaits an IMF bailout, the last thing Pakistan needs is more political turmoil,” says Maleeha Lodhi, who served as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations from 2015 to 2019. “Both sides need to step back as no one will win if the economic situation worsens.” India
India’s Modi to visit U.S. later this week, foreign ministry says (Reuters)
Reuters [9/17/2024 9:31 AM, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, 37270K, Neutral]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the U.S. from Sept. 21-23, the Indian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.During the visit, Modi will attend a meeting of the Quad group comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia, a statement from the ministry said. Trump Says He Will Meet With India’s Modi Next Week (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [9/17/2024 8:28 PM, Mark Niquette, 27782K, Positive]
Former President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to meet with him next week — the latest visit from a foreign leader or official as nations grapple with the possibility of the Republican returning to power after November’s election.“He happens to be coming to meet me next week, and Modi, he’s fantastic,” the Republican presidential nominee said Tuesday during a town hall in Flint, Michigan, as he revealed the visit during a winding answer that touched on free trade and protecting US jobs.The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request seeking details about the meeting.Modi will be in the US this weekend, where he is slated to attend the Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware that is being hosted by President Joe Biden. On Sept. 23, Modi is expected to address the “Summit of the Future” at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.Trump has met with other world leaders this year, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in March and with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Trump Tower in New York.As president, Trump traveled to India in 2020, a trip which saw Modi roll out the red carpet to court the Republican, who is fond of large crowd sizes, including with an event at a cricket stadium where he was greeted by more than 100,000 people.Under Biden, the US has pledged to work with India on technology such as artificial intelligence and committed to the co-production of sensitive defense technologies. Biden has sought to strengthen ties with Asian nations to better counter China’s growing military and economic influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The president also hosted Modi for a state dinner in 2023.But US-India ties under Biden have also been frustrated in part by New Delhi’s reluctance to broker an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. India is reliant on Russia for military weapons and cheap oil, and has refrained from condemning Vladimir Putin for his invasion.Modi visited Kyiv in August for the first time since the war began and has advocated for diplomacy and dialog to end the conflict. Leader of Delhi’s Government Resigns Months Before Polls (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [9/17/2024 9:53 AM, Swati Gupta, 27782K, Neutral]
Arvind Kejriwal, the head of Delhi’s government, resigned from his post Tuesday and announced a replacement, just days after he was granted bail in a corruption case and released from prison.Atishi, who goes by one name, will be Delhi’s new chief minister following her approval at a legislative party meeting Tuesday. She’s a member of Delhi’s cabinet and has held important roles in education and power.“He has entrusted his faith in me and given me the responsibility,” Atishi said of Kejriwal at a press briefing. In the coming months, the Aam Aadmi Party will work to ensure that Kejriwal is elected chief minister once again, she said.Kejriwal and the AAP have been under pressure for more than a year amid allegations of impropriety in a liquor distribution case. Multiple leaders of the party, including the former deputy chief minister, have spent months in prison without trial.The AAP has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party of misusing federal investigative agencies to target opposition leaders — which they deny. Kejriwal was arrested in March, weeks before India’s national elections kicked off.The AAP governs Delhi — India’s national capital region, which includes New Delhi, the administrative center — and the northern state of Punjab.On Saturday, Kejriwal announced that he would resign and called for fresh elections, which are scheduled for next year. “I have been accused of being a thief and corrupt,” he said during an address, denying all the charges against him.His resignation came as a surprise to many in India. Kejriwal had previously refused to step down while incarcerated.“Politically, it is a very astute move,” said Niranjan Sahoo, senior fellow with the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. “It is an interesting way to take the battle to the people’s court.” New Delhi’s top elected official resigns after being released on bail in a bribery case (AP)
AP [9/17/2024 9:27 AM, Ashok Sharma, 31638K, Neutral]
One of India’s leading opposition figures resigned his post as New Delhi’s chief minister on Tuesday, days after he emerged from prison on bail in a bribery case.
Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was arrested in March on charges of receiving bribes from a liquor distributor. Kejriwal has consistently denied the accusations and called them a political conspiracy.
Opposition parties widely condemned Kejriwal’s arrest politically motivated, accusing Modi’s government of misusing federal investigation agencies to harass and weaken its political opponents. They pointed to raids, arrests and corruption investigations into key opposition figures in the months before the elections.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal’s Aam Admi - or Common People’s - Party chose his ally Atishi as his successor. A close aide to Kejriwal, she uses one name.
Atishi, 43, holds key finance, education, and women’s and children’s welfare portfolios.
Kejriwal handed his resignation to Delhi’s Lt. Gov. V.K. Saxena after serving the post for more than nine years. He said he would only return to the post if people voted for him in the upcoming Delhi assembly election. He demanded that the elections, scheduled for February next year, be moved up to November.
India’s Supreme Court ordered his release on bail on Friday, saying his trial would likely take time, but said he would not be permitted to meet witnesses in the case or visit his office, and the capital’s governor must review some of his decisions as chief minister.
The government accused Kejriwal’s party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from a liquor distributor nearly two years ago in return for changing a liquor sales policy in its favor.
Two key ministers in Kejriwal’s government, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, were also arrested. They were freed on bail earlier.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party reminded Kejriwal’s jubilant supporters that their leader was out on bail and not acquitted. The party demanded Kejriwal’s resignation immediately after his arrest.
Political analysts said Kejriwal must accept that the corruption charge has dimmed his party’s halo.
Kejriwal’s party came to office riding the crest of an anti-corruption wave. The party’s symbol - a broom - and its promise to sweep the administration of graft struck a chord with New Delhi’s residents, fed up with runaway inflation and slow economic growth.
"Kejriwal is a much-diminished politician today. The resignation gambit is a desperate attempt to cut his losses and, hopefully, rediscover some of the old mojo," wrote R. Jagannathan, a political analyst, in a newspaper article on Monday.
Kejriwal’s party is a part of a broad alliance of opposition parties called INDIA and was the primary challenger to Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in June’s elections. Modi’s BJP failed to win a majority of its own, but it formed a government with the help of allies. Voting for local government opens in Indian-controlled Kashmir for first time after losing autonomy (AP)
AP [9/17/2024 11:04 PM, Staff, 31638K, Negative]
The three-phased election for choosing a local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir opened early Wednesday in the first such vote since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the disputed region of its special status five years ago.Authorities deployed thousands of additional police and paramilitary soldiers in the region’s seven southern districts where over 2.3 million residents are eligible to cast their votes and chose 24 lawmakers out of 219 candidates in the first phase of the polling.Wearing riot gears and carrying assault rifles, troops set up checkpoints and patrolled the constituencies in the districts as locals lined up to cast their votes in villages and towns.The second and third phases are scheduled for Sept. 25 and Oct. 1 in a process that is staggered to allow troops to move around to stop potential violence. Votes will be counted on Oct. 8, with results expected that day.For the first time, authorities limited access of foreign media to polling stations and denied press credentials to most journalists working with international media, including to The Associated Press, without citing any reason. Press passes issued by election authorities are mandatory for journalists to travel and film, photograph or interview voters in a polling constituency.The vote is the first in a decade, and the first since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government in 2019 scrapped the Muslim-majority region’s semi-autonomy and downgraded the former state to a federally governed territory. It was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, ruled directly by New Delhi, allowing it to appoint administrators to run the territories along unelected bureaucrats and security personnel.The multistage election will allow Kashmir to have its own truncated government and a local legislature, called an assembly, instead of remaining under New Delhi’s direct rule. A chief minister will head a council of ministers in the government.However, there will be a limited transition of power from New Delhi to the local assembly as Kashmir will continue to be a “Union Territory” — directly controlled by the federal government — with India’s Parliament remaining its main legislator. Kashmir’s statehood must be restored for the new government to have powers similar to other states of India.Multiple local parties have campaigned on promises to fight for reversal of 2019 changes and address other key issues like rising unemployment and inflation in the region where locals have struggled amid curtailed civil liberties particularly after the revocation of the special status.India’s ruling BJP, however, has vowed to block any move aimed at undoing those changes but promised to help in the region’s economic development.India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.The region’s last assembly election was held in 2014, after which Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time ruled in a coalition with the local Peoples Democratic Party. But the government collapsed in 2018, after BJP withdrew from the coalition.Polls in the past have been marked with violence, boycotts and vote-rigging, even though India called them a victory over separatism. India’s Jammu and Kashmir votes in first regional poll in a decade (Reuters)
Reuters [9/18/2024 1:39 AM, Fayaz Bukhari, 5.2M, Neutral]
Voters queued outside polling stations in India’s Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to vote in the first provincial election being held in a decade in the Himalayan region that has grappled with years of militant violence.
The nine million registered voters are choosing members for the region’s 90-seat legislature in the three-phase election. Votes will be counted on Oct. 8 and results expected the same day.
"I gave my vote for development. For the last ten years, we were unable to exercise our democratic right and I am happy that ... I am able to cast my ballot," said Mohammad Asim Bhat, a 23-year-old first-time voter.
Jammu and Kashmir is India’s only Muslim-majority territory and has been at the centre of a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan since 1947. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part, after having fought two of their three wars over the region.
Until 2019, Indian-ruled Jammu and Kashmir had a special status of partial autonomy that was revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the government’s decision and set a deadline of Sept. 30 this year for local polls to be held.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government has said that revoking the region’s special status restored normalcy in the area and helped its development.
"As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections begins, I urge all ... to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy," Modi said on X.
In the past, pro-independence militants have targeted elections in Kashmir, and voter turnout has been largely weak. The territory, however, recorded its highest turnout in 35 years in national elections held in April and May, with a 58.46% participation rate.
The contest this time is between regional parties promising to restore the special status, India’s main opposition Congress party which has allied with a prominent regional group, as well as the BJP, which is pitching development and a permanent end to militancy.
The legislative assembly will have powers to debate local issues, make laws and approve decisions for governing the territory but cannot restore special status as that is the remit of the federal government. Despite prison, torture, this Kashmiri politician won’t give up on India (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [9/18/2024 4:00 AM, Yashraj Sharma, Neutral]
For a month in 2020, 33-year-old Waheed-ur-Rehman Para was imprisoned in a dark, underground cell in the Indian capital, where he was beaten with rods, stripped naked, and hung upside down after the country’s premier investigation agency accused him of aiding anti-India rebels.
In the dim light, he would touch the names of other Kashmiris — scratched on the walls — who had been held in the New Delhi cell before him. At his lowest points, Para would close his eyes and recall the summer of 2018 when he stood in front of 3,000 people, next to Rajnath Singh, then India’s home minister, who hailed him as a youth icon of Indian democracy.“I became suicidal and everything,” Para recalled, walking on a dusty road in Pulwama, his hometown.
The city is part of a district that shares its name and has long been a hotbed of anti-India rebellion in the south of Indian-administered Kashmir. But Para was — and remains — a popular pro-India leader, and is still grappling with the dramatic twists in fate that he has faced in recent years. After a month in the New Delhi cell, he was held in a jail in Srinagar, Kashmir’s biggest city, for nearly two years.“My whole life felt like a lie,” he said.“For a month, I did not know whether it was day or night. Being caged, I immediately felt connected to my Kashmiri roots and often returned to my childhood,” explained Para, tall, his voice feeble, hair visibly greyer than it was before his time in prison. “And [I] think, how did this happen.”
Released in May 2022 after what United Nations experts have described as two years of torture, Para though is still not willing to give up on Indian democracy as he goes door-to-door canvassing for votes in rebel-dominated areas that have traditionally boycotted elections. He does this while juggling multiple court hearings — some in cases relating to the charges he was arrested under, others to do with petitions seeking permission for him to travel outside Kashmir.
On September 18, as Kashmir votes in the first phase of regional polls being held after almost 10 years, Para’s name will be on the ballot. The youth president of the pro-India People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is contesting from Pulwama, his candidature the latest reaffirmation of his faith in India’s Constitution, at a time when trust between Kashmiris and the Indian government on the whole has fallen to new depths.
In August 2019, New Delhi unilaterally scrapped Kashmir’s special autonomy — which was guaranteed in the country’s Constitution — and stripped away its statehood. Para’s own odyssey with the Indian state completely “shook” his faith in democracy, he said.
But, he insists, a Kashmiri cannot “live a sadist’s life”. A Kashmiri who loves their homeland, he said, should “live for Kashmir – not die for it”. Para was referring to the alternative to democracy that many in Kashmir have also embraced over the years — the gun.‘Avenge jail with votes’
For the last three decades, after an armed rebellion broke out against India’s rule in Kashmir, mainstream political participation was shunned by many Kashmiris, who heeded separatists’ calls to boycott polls.
In August 2019, New Delhi imposed a curfew, and a months-long communications blackout, before bifurcating the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two federally governed territories, thus stripping the region’s semi-autonomous status. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrested dozens of opposition leaders, including Para and other pro-Indian Kashmiri leaders who swore by the Indian Constitution, keeping them under preventive detention without a trial.
He was moved from a makeshift prison to house detention in February 2020 before eventually being released. But in November later that year, soon after he filed a nomination for candidacy in a local district-level election, Para was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and accused of involvement in “terrorism”, aiding armed fighters, and waging war against India. It was then that he endured his time in the underground cell.
Para won that district election but was not allowed to take an oath by Indian agencies. Right after a court in Srinagar granted him bail in January 2021, he was arrested again from the jail by another investigative agency in Kashmir in another case, again accused of “aiding and abetting terrorism”.
In May 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court granted him bail, noting that the evidence against him was “too sketchy”.
On a sunny afternoon last week, when Al Jazeera met him, Para was leading his supporters in an election rally in Pulwama’s Beighpora village, known as the home of Riyaz Naikoo, the last popular commander of the pro-Pakistan rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen.
Para was surrounded by people waiting excitedly to shake hands with him. “Jail ka badla vote se [We will avenge jail with votes],” his supporters shouted, as a frail, old man wearing a white-skull cap tried to speak to Para.“My son has been in jail under PSA,” he told Para, who leaned down to hear him amid loud slogans, using the acronym of Public Safety Act, a preventive detention law.“Don’t worry Haji sahab, I’m here,” Para said, patting his shoulder. “Come to my home in the evening and we will see to it.”
These are pleas he hears the most, Para later told Al Jazeera – those of parents looking for help for their children jailed under India’s anti-terror and preventive detention laws, which rights groups describe as draconian.“We want to convince New Delhi to engage with Kashmiri stakeholders,” he said. “There has to be a reconciliation movement in Kashmir and cases of our youth need to be dropped. We need a vast political process [for reconciliation].”Among Para’s biggest tests is convincing Kashmiris that his party, the PDP, is the one that can drive such a process.
Large sections of Kashmiri society have long treated association with mainstream India with suspicion, because of the legitimacy that brings to India’s rule over the region. India and Pakistan have both contested the region for 77 years, each claiming all of it while controlling parts of it.
The political space for pro-India engagement shrank further after Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party, in power in New Delhi, revoked the region’s special status.
The PDP was an ally of the BJP in the last elected government of the region in 2014. Since then, the party has faced fierce criticism for allowing the BJP to enter into power in Kashmir.
In 2016, the PDP-BJP alliance quelled widespread street protests, sparked after the killing of a popular rebel commander, Burhan Wani. Nearly 100 civilians were killed, a significant number of them in south Kashmir. Hundreds of others were blinded by wounds from pellet guns.
However, that rejection of mainstream politics seems to be fading, said Para, pointing to the record-high voter turnout in the parliamentary election held between April and June 2024 and the victory of a jailed, anti-establishment independent candidate, Sheikh Abdul Rashid – also known as Engineer Rashid who defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Noor Ahmad Baba, a retired professor who headed the social sciences department at the University of Kashmir, said, “The turnout reflects people’s anger against the policies of the Indian government [including scrapping of the special status and further clampdown].”“I think people are understanding the importance of democratic space,” Para said of the political shift. “It is very challenging and difficult to come out, or even talk, in Kashmir. People are realising that they can express themselves by voting also.”
Personal is political
For Para, “everything is political in Kashmir — and politics is always personal”.
Growing up in Pulwama meant, he said, life was constantly uncertain. “We feared the militants and we feared the military,” he recalled. “I grew up as India, Pakistan, and China fought over who gets to rule us.” China also controls a small slice of the Kashmir region, to the north of the Karakoram mountain range — India claims that part of Kashmir.
The conflict over Kashmir reached Para’s home, in 2002, when his father, Ghulam Ahmad Para, was abducted by the Ikhwans, a pro-government militia, who demanded a ransom the Para family could not afford.
Para recalled that when no one heard the then 15-year-old teenager’s pleas for help, the then leader of the PDP, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, lent him a helping hand, negotiating his father’s release. “I never looked back since then,” he said, his eyes welled up. “I wanted to be a part of this thing.”
Para was too young to vote at the time, but he joined the PDP’s campaign trail the following month as a polling agent as the region geared up for the assembly elections. Sayeed was elected chief minister, and he disbanded the Ikhwans.
The battle for 2024
Driving around Pulwama in his black SUV last week, with the car’s roof covered in a web of the PDP’s green-coloured flags, Para waved at people as they spotted him.
On the other side of the road, the cavalcade of a local BJP candidate passed. With a wink, he said: “The BJP enjoys the support of the government machinery but it is not like they enjoy popularity here.” The BJP has never won a seat in Kashmir, though it is a dominant force in the Jammu region that is also part of the combined administrative unit known as Jammu and Kashmir, which is voting in the elections.
In his hometown, Para is up against an old PDP hand, 72-year-old Mohammad Khalil Bandh. When Bandh won the seat in 2014, the last time regional elections took place, Para was helping promote that campaign. In 2019, Bandh switched to the National Conference, Kashmir’s biggest political party.
And there is another unlikely entrant to the fray, Talat Majeed, a former member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a socioreligious organisation currently banned in India, that announced an end to its 37-year of self-imposed exile from polls – and returned to mainstream politics.
Speaking with Al Jazeera, Majeed said he sees Para as a “sincere candidate” and noted that their manifestos – promising an end to New Delhi’s bureaucratic overreach and a “jail-free Kashmir” for youth – overlap. But he said he was confident he was “the top candidate”.
Give hope another chance
As Para canvasses for votes, drumming up support for the “politics of reconciliation”, he is yet to reconcile with his imprisonment.
When his father Ghulam was battling cancer in a hospital in New Delhi, Para was not allowed by investigative agencies to visit him. He is barred from leaving Kashmir because of the cases he faces. Ghulam passed away in January this year, aged 62. In February, his seven-year-old nephew Aleem also died while in a coma. Para was not allowed to travel to New Delhi to see the child before he died.
Para’s passport has been impounded since September 2023, which meant he could not attend a fellowship at Yale University’s International Leadership Centre.“Now, I try to save other families when I couldn’t save my own family,” he said.
But Para insisted that he retains his belief in the “idea of India”. “I have a lot of clarity on the difference between ‘India’ and ‘BJP’ and that the country is in a transition,” he said. “India is about patriotism but the BJP is about Hindu nationalism, which means enforcing majoritarianism.”
Para’s thoughts drifted back to the time when, as a teenager, he was running around looking for help to secure his father’s release. If there was one thing he could tell that 15-year-old in hindsight, he said, it would be this: “Naummeedi nahi honi chahiye [Never give up hope].”“We must give hope another chance.” NSB
Bangladesh opposition party demands a new election after Hasina’s ouster (AP)
AP [9/17/2024 9:29 PM, Julhas Alam, 31638K, Neutral]
Thousands of activists and leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party rallied Tuesday in the nation’s capital to demand a democratic transition through an election as an interim government has yet to outline a timeframe for new voting.
The supporters gathered in front of BNP headquarters in Dhaka, where they chanted slogans demanding a new election.
The interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has rolled out a number of plans to reform various sectors of the country, from the Election Commission to financial institutions. But major political parties - including the BNP, which is headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia - want the new election sometime soon.
Yunus took the helm after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country during a mass uprising last month, ending a 15-year stint in power. The protests began in July and morphed into an anti-government movement. Hasina has been living in India since. The country’s powerful military is playing a crucial role in running the administration, which faces a number of challenges including worker unrest in its garment industry sector, unstable law and order, and an uncertain economy.
In his recent speeches, Yunus hasn’t outlined when a new national election would be held and said they would stay in power as long as the people want them to stay. A team of newspaper editors recently said that Yunus should complete crucial reforms first and stay in power for at least two years.
The BNP initially demanded an election in three months, but later said it wants to allow the interim government time for reforms. The country’s main Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, which was once officially an alliance partner under Zia’s party, also wants to give the Yunus-led government more time before an election.
Tarique Rahman, heir apparent to Zia and the BNP’s acting chairman, spoke online from London where he has been living in exile since 2008. He said Tuesday that his party supported the interim government’s plans for reforms, but such changes would only be sustained if the people have their say in the process.
He didn’t specify when a new election should be held, but said any reforms must be endorsed in the next parliament.
"Only a free and fair election can ensure the political empowerment of the people," he said.
He said that reforms by the Yunus-led government should focus on installing an elected parliament and a new government that would empower the people politically.
"To ensure such an election, reforms must be made in the Election Commission, public administration and security agencies, enabling them to perform effectively," Rahman said.
In another development, a court in Dhaka on Tuesday allowed interrogators to question two senior journalists facing murder charges while they are held in custody.
Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bengali-language Bhorer Kagoj and former general secretary of the National Press Club in Dhaka, and Mozammel Babu, managing director and editor-in-chief of private station Ekattor TV, were arrested on Monday as they reportedly attempted to flee to India. Both of them face murder charges related to student-led protests. Both of them were known as being close to Hasina.
More than 150 journalists have faced charges such as murder and crimes against humanity since Hasina’s fall from power, drawing criticism from groups like Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, and the Human Rights Watch.
After two other journalists were arrested last month and more cases were filed against others, the RSF demanded a halt to such cases.
"The purge of journalists who are considered to be affiliated with the former government has reached a new level. Media professionals are bearing the brunt of the need for vengeance that permeates this terrible legal cabal, which is hurting the image of the political transition underway in Bangladesh," said Antoine Bernard, RSF’s director of Advocacy and Assistance.
"The interim authorities, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, must do everything in their power to end this vicious process," Bernard said.
Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy director of the agency’s Asia division, told The Associated Press last month that it was "extremely concerning that the justice system is replicating its abusive and partisan behavior since the fall of the Awami League government (of Hasina), with arbitrary arrests and failure in due process, merely reversing those targeted."
Also on Tuesday, the government granted magistrate powers to commissioned officials of the military to operate outside metropolitan areas across the country for the next two months. A notification by the Ministry of Public Administration said the empowered military officials would be able to apply their power in dealing with organized crime. Bangladesh says World Bank pledges over $2 bln for reforms (Reuters)
Reuters [9/17/2024 8:21 AM, Ruma Paul, 37270K, Neutral]
Bangladesh said on Tuesday the World Bank has committed to providing over $2 billion in new financing this fiscal year to support the country’s ongoing reform efforts, flood response initiatives, and improvements in air quality and healthcare.The announcement was made by the World Bank’s Country Director, Abdoulaye Seck, following a meeting with the head of the interim government Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka on Tuesday, his office said in a statement."We would like to support you as fast as possible and as much as possible," Yunus’ office quoted Seck as saying, underscoring the bank’s commitment to addressing Bangladesh’s financial needs as it embarks on critical reforms under the interim government, formed last month following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after deadly protests.The World Bank also plans to repurpose an additional $1 billion from existing programmes, which will raise the total amount of soft loans and grants to approximately $3 billion for this fiscal year that ends in June 2025.The funds will be used to support a variety of key areas, including the country’s response to natural disasters and economic reforms.Seck highlighted the importance of the reforms for Bangladesh’s future, particularly for its youth, with two million people joining the job market each year. "The completion of the reforms will be critically important for Bangladesh and its young people," he said.During the meeting, Yunus urged the World Bank to provide the necessary flexibility and support for the country’s reform initiatives."We need a big push, and we have to focus on the dreams of the students."In a televised address last week, Yunus said the government was appealing for $5 billion in aid to help stabilise an economy that has been struggling since the Ukraine war sharply increased the cost of fuel and food imports. Bangladesh last year sought a $4.7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s inclusive economic growth, institution building and development and will provide an additional $202 million of aid, a U.S. delegation said during a visit to Dhaka on Sunday. Islamic Development Bank to provide up to $5 bln support to Bangladesh (Reuters)
Reuters [9/17/2024 10:32 AM, Ruma Paul, 88008K, Negative]
The Islamic Development Bank plans to provide around $4 billion to $5 billion of support to Bangladesh over the next three years, the bank’s regional head said on Tuesday.Political turmoil in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last month has added to its economic struggles that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and were exacerbated by costly fuel and food imports following the 2022 war in Ukraine.The South Asian country is urgently seeking $5 billion in financial aid from international lenders to stabilise its dwindling foreign exchange reserves and its central bank has raised key interest rates to tame soaring inflation."Part of the (bank’s) Member Country Partnership Strategy is to help the country for the next three years with around $4-$5 billion," Muhammad Nassis Bin Sulaiman, head of the Islamic Development Bank’s regional hub, told reporters in Dhaka."The government is also seeking further support from the bank," he said after a meeting with Bangladesh’s interim finance ministry head Salehuddin Ahmed. He added that more discussions will be held on how the support can be augmented. How Bhutan Quietly Built $750 Million In Bitcoin Holdings (Forbes)
Forbes [9/17/2024 12:17 PM, Andrey Sergeenkov, 98958K, Neutral]
Blockchain intelligence firm Arkham revealed on September 16, 2024, that Bhutan’s bitcoin holdings have reached $750 million. This represents approximately 27.9% of Bhutan’s estimated 2023 Gross Domestic Product of $2.686 billion.
Notably, Bhutan’s bitcoin holdings are more than twice the value of El Salvador’s, which stand at $335 million, despite Bhutan having only about 12% of El Salvador’s population (782,000 versus 6.336 million). The holdings come from Bhutan’s own mining operations, which have ramped up dramatically since 2019.
Origins Of Bhutan’s Cryptocurrency Strategy (2019)
Bhutan’s venture into bitcoin mining began in April 2019, when the cryptocurrency was valued at approximately $5,000. The country’s sovereign investment arm, Druk Holding & Investments, confirmed to local newspaper The Bhutanese that it "entered the mining space" at this time.
The kingdom leveraged its abundant hydroelectric resources to power its mining operations. Bhutan’s rivers, fed by Himalayan glaciers which provide significant hydropower potential, with 23,760 MW identified as technically feasible, and hydropower accounting for 30% of Bhutan’s GDP; notably, 99.5% of Bhutan’s electricity came from hydropower in 2003, with per capita electricity consumption at 949 kWh that year, according to a study by Mr. Sonam Tshering and Mr. Bharat Tamang. To put this into perspective, the 23,760 MW of feasible hydropower could theoretically power over 17 million average American homes, or supply the entire energy needs of a city like New York twice over.
This abundant clean energy allows Bhutan to power large-scale bitcoin mining operations while maintaining its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Bhutan’s decision to enter the cryptocurrency market was driven by economic necessity. The country faced declining tourism revenues and sought to diversify its income sources. The COVID-19 pandemic, which later severely impacted Bhutan’s $88.6 million annual tourism revenue, further validated this strategic move. Bitcoin mining offered a way to monetize Bhutan’s energy surplus and potentially secure a new revenue stream for the kingdom according to a Forbes article by journalists Iain Martin and Sarah Emerson.
Expansion Of Operations (2020-2021)
In 2020, as the global pandemic disrupted traditional revenue streams, Bhutan intensified its cryptocurrency efforts. Sources familiar with the matter told Forbes that senior Bhutanese officials began discussions with bitcoin miners and mining equipment suppliers during this period. In 2021, Bhutan’s cryptocurrency investments expanded beyond mining. Court documents reviewed by Forbes showed that DHI had become a customer of crypto lenders BlockFi and Celsius, investing millions of dollars in digital assets. These investments, never publicly disclosed by Bhutan, were exposed during the bankruptcy proceedings of these lenders.
In 2021, Bhutan imported $51 million worth of computer chips, a significant increase from just $1.1 million in 2020.
December 2021 marked the beginning of construction on what appears to be Bhutan’s largest mining operation. Satellite imagery shows that work began on a vast site located on the grounds of the defunct Education City project, a failed government initiative. This new facility, strategically positioned along the country’s first paved road, was designed to leverage the existing infrastructure left behind by the abandoned education project.
Major Investments And Information Disclosure (2022-2023)
In 2022, Bhutan’s commitment to cryptocurrency mining became evident through significant hardware investments. Customs data revealed that the country imported $142 million worth of computer chips, accounting for approximately 10% of Bhutan’s total $1.4 billion inbound trade. These chips were classified under the same export label used by bitcoin mining rig manufacturers, primarily sourced from China and Hong Kong.
The scale of Bhutan’s crypto operations remained hidden until April 2023, when Forbes published an expose revealing the kingdom’s secret investments. The report uncovered Bhutan’s multimillion dollar cryptocurrency portfolio and its entanglements with failed crypto lenders BlockFi and Celsius.
Following this revelation, in May 2023, Bhutan’s DHI announced a partnership with Singaporean bitcoin mining giant Bitdeer. The two entities revealed plans for a $500 million "green crypto mining" fund, aimed at leveraging Bhutan’s renewable energy resources for blockchain technologies according to Cointelegraph.
In June 2023, The Bhutanese reported that DHI was considering selling a portion of its bitcoin holdings to fund a 50% salary increase for government officials. This move, worth an estimated $72 million, was proposed as Bhutan faced an economic crisis with its foreign currency reserves dwindling to just $689 million, barely enough to cover 14 months of imports.
Expansion Of Mining Capacity (2023-2024)
On April 5, DHI and Bitdeer announced their intention to increase Bhutan’s mining capacity sixfold, reaching 600 MW by the first half of 2025. This upgrade was aimed at offsetting the potential impact of the upcoming bitcoin halving event. Bitdeer’s chief business officer stated that the planned upgrades would raise Bhutan’s mining capacity by 500 MW, building upon the existing 100 MW facility in Gedu.
Current State And Future Prospects
As of September 16, 2024, Bhutan’s bitcoin holdings have reached $750 million, making it the fourth-largest government holder on Arkham’s platform. This positions Bhutan as a significant player in the global cryptocurrency market, especially considering its small population of less than 800,000.
Bitcoin holdings and mining operations represent a new revenue stream, potentially offsetting declining tourism income and addressing the country’s trade deficit. The government has considered using bitcoin to fund public sector salary increases, indicating its importance to national finances.
However, risks remain. The volatile crypto market could impact the value of Bhutan’s holdings, and energy-intensive mining may strain the country’s electricity grid. The Asian Development Bank forecasts Bhutan’s economic growth will slow to 4.6%, underscoring the need for careful management of these digital assets.
Bhutan’s recent launch of a decentralized digital identity app suggests a broader vision for blockchain integration beyond mining, signalling the kingdom’s continued commitment to this technology.
Significance Of Bhutan’s Experience For Other States
Bhutan’s entry into bitcoin mining and cryptocurrency investments offers valuable lessons for other small nations:
Countries can leverage natural resources, like hydroelectric power, for emerging technologies.
There is potential for economic diversification, reducing dependence on traditional sectors such as tourism.
Illustrates a model for quiet integration into the crypto space, avoiding unnecessary attention.
Bhutan combines government investments with public education on cryptocurrencies. A recent study published in the Universal Journal of Financial Economics examined the attitudes of business students in Bhutan towards cryptocurrencies. The results showed that 91% of respondents are aware of cryptocurrencies, with an overall awareness level of 5.2961 out of 7. Students demonstrate a positive attitude towards cryptocurrencies (5.024 out of 7) and a high intention to use them (5.244 out of 7), especially if they become available (5.41 out of 7).
The research also revealed that awareness and positive attitudes positively influence the intention to use cryptocurrencies. The authors note the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan’s initiative to launch a financial literacy and fintech certification program in 2021, as well as mentioning the King of Bhutan’s speeches in 2019 and 2020.
Bhutan’s experience demonstrates that small states can play significant roles in the global crypto market through a dual strategy of government investment and public education, serving as a model for others. However, this approach requires careful planning and risk management to be successful. Are India and Maldives heading for diplomatic reboot? (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [9/17/2024 9:28 AM, Murali Krishnan, 16637K, Neutral]
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who won his office last year on an "India Out" campaign, is preparing for a diplomatic trip to New Delhi, his aides say.
"The President is scheduled to visit India very soon. As you are aware, such trips are scheduled for a time of maximum convenience to leaders of the two countries. Discussions regarding this are in progress," said Heena Waleed, chief spokesperson at the President’s Office in the capital Male last week.
India and the Maldives have traditionally maintained close ties. In recent years, however, China has been seeking to expand its presence in the Maldives with Muizzu urging a partnership with Beijing.
Threats of boycott over mockery of Modi
In April this year, Muizzu’s government ordered India to withdraw a small force which had been deployed to help operate reconnaissance aircraft provided by India. In May, the Maldives signed a defense deal with China.
Also, the Maldives decided not to renew a 2019 agreement with India on a hydrographic survey and, earlier this year, Maldivian deputy ministers were caught making derogatory statements about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his plan to promote tourism in the nearby Indian archipelago of Lakshadweep.
Indian tourists responded with calls to boycott the Maldives - a serious threat for its tourism-dependent economy. But Muizzu remained defiant, denouncing attempts to "bully" his country.
Muizzu’s ‘pro-China bias’
Following a chill in relations, the planned visit by President Muizzu could mark a dramatic turnaround and signal the desire to mend fences.
Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, the head of independent research forum Mantraya, told DW that Muizzu’s government has seemingly done some reality checks about the benefits it can garner from favourable relations with India.
"It is too early to call it a policy reversal, but it certainly is a positive development in India-Maldives bilateral relations," D’Souza said.
She pointed out that Maldives is pursuing a balance of power in its foreign policy approach and aims to benefit from its relations with both India and China.
"The resignation of two junior ministers who had mocked Modi’s promotion of Lakshadweep as an attractive tourist destination is a signal that Muizzu wants to maintain healthy relations with New Delhi. But that is unlikely to be at the cost of his pro-China bias," D’Souza added.
Money troubles in island paradiseThe Maldives are in need of friends abroad. The resort nation faces increasing debt, low revenue, and depleting foreign reserves. The country has run on a budget deficit, while seeking assistance and grants.
In a statement last week, credit ratings agency Moody’s downgraded the Maldives based on an assessment that "default risks have risen materially," as foreign exchange reserves - have remained low. The agency said the prospects for a sharp recovery are relatively dim.
And despite the ongoing row, New Delhi is also keen to stop Muizzu’s government from drifting more closely to Beijing. India is no stranger to providing financial aid to the Maldives, including a $100 million (\u20ac91.17 million) tranche in November 2022.
India says Maldives ‘a priority’
Even before the announcement about the upcoming visit, both Male and New Delhi have signaled desire to improve ties. Last month, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar visited Male, marking the first high-level visit since Muizzu was elected.
"To put it succinctly in the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for India, neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, the Maldives is a priority. We also share the closest bonds of history and kinship," Jaishankar said at the time.
Jaishankar’s visit was followed by the two countries holding consultation on joint defense project and security in the Indian Ocean this month.
"Muizzu’s government has softened its stand on India even while not altering its pro-China position," P Sahadevan, a professor of South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW. "I think the impending economic crisis is a discernible reason for this change. It works good for India as it does not have to face a thoroughly anti-India regime."
Crisis pushing Male closer to New Delhi
The analyst said India will grow more important for Muizzu if the economic crisis deepens.
"It depends on how far he is going to resist Chinese pressure, pro-China lobby and radical Islamists," added Sahadevan.
The Maldives is one of the key elements in India’s maritime security calculus as the archipelago sits in the middle of major shipping lanes connecting east and west Asia.
It is also central to the US strategy of countering China in the Indo-Pacific.
At the same time, Beijing has been undertaking infrastructure projects and economic investments in the Indian Ocean region as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). President Xi also offered to support "the Maldives firmly in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity", China’s state news agency Xinhua said.
Veteran diplomat Anil Wadhwa agrees that Muizzu’s upcoming visit signals a softening of his "India Out" stance.
"Maldives has realized that India is the only country which can quickly respond in a crisis in Maldives and bail it out in times of crisis. One such crisis is the looming financial repayments and Maldives under Muizzu will be preparing to address and raise this. Any further provocation of India in these circumstances will be counterproductive for Maldives," said Wadhwa. Still reeling from crisis, Sri Lanka holds pivotal election (BBC)
BBC [9/17/2024 6:25 PM, Samira Hussain, 67197K, Neutral]
Two years ago, huge crowds forced the country’s deeply unpopular leader from office – now voters are just days away from choosing who they want for president.It’s the first election since the mass protests - called the “aragalaya”, Sinhalese for struggle – which were sparked by Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis. Inflation was at 70%. Basics like food, cooking gas and medicine were scarce.Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president at the time, and his government were blamed for the mess. He fled the country just before crowds stormed his residence. Euphoric protesters leapt into the presidential pool, taking victory laps.Mithun Jayawardana, 28, was one of those swimmers. “It was awesome,” he said thinking back. Jobless, with no gas or electricity at home, he says he joined the aragalaya for a lark.Today, he recognises how crucial the elections on Saturday are: “We need a president who is elected by the people. The people didn’t elect the current president.”Ranil Wickremesinghe, the man who currently holds the job, was appointed to the position after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned. Mr Wickremesinghe, who’s been tasked with steering Sri Lanka through a period of painful economic reform, is running for re-election as an independent.He’s stood for president twice before but never succeeded, and his political future appears uncertain. Many associate Wickremesinghe with the Rajapaksas, a political dynasty who have dominated Sri Lankan politics for decades. Many blame them for the years of financial mismanagement that led to Sri Lanka’s economic woes.Even the country’s top court ruled that Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, another former president, were among 13 former leaders responsible for the financial crisis.Despite the political baggage that comes with the name, a Rajapaksa has entered the political fray in these elections - there are still places the family enjoys a lot of support.One such district is just over an hour outside Colombo. Music, fireworks and the cheers of supporters greeted Namal Rajapaksa as he approached the podium to address the hundreds that had come to hear him speak on Monday in the town of Minuwangoda. Even his father, Mahinda joined him on stage.Namal Rajapaksa denied his family’s role in Sri Lanka’s economic collapse.“We know our hands are clean, we know we have not done anything wrong to the people or this country,” he told the BBC.“We are willing to face the people, let the public decide what they want and who to vote for.”In all, a record 38 candidates are contesting the 21 September election, none of them women. In 2019, Sajid Premadasa, leader of the country’s main opposition party, won 42% of the popular vote, losing to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This time around he is thought to be in with a chance too.For people looking for change, many are looking to Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The candidate of the leftist National People’s Party alliance has emerged as an unlikely frontrunner.Thousands of people flocked to a field in the small town of Mirigama, two hours north-west from Colombo, to hear Mr Dissanayake speak last Saturday, many wearing bright pink hats or T-shirts with his face.“Yes 100% sure, okay,” he tells the BBC, when asked if he can win. Campaigning as the voice of the working class, he is hoping to disrupt Sri Lanka’s political establishment.Unlike past elections in Sri Lanka, the economy is front and centre in this one.Holding her four-year-old son Nehan, Rangika Munasinghe laments the higher taxes she now pays.“It’s very difficult. Salaries are being reduced, taxes on products and food are high. Kids meals, milk powder, all more expensive. Taxes are so high, we can’t manage it,” the 35-year-old told the BBC at a busy market in Colombo.Sri Lanka was able to stave off bankruptcy in 2022 thanks to loans from the International Monetary Fund, and countries like China and India. But now everyone is feeling the pressure from the country’s enormous $92bn (£69bn) debt burden, which includes both foreign and national debt.“I’m doing two jobs,” says Mohamed Rajabdeen, who’s in his 70s. He is selling spoons from a stall off a busy street. Once this is done, he will travel to his second job, working in security.“We should get good salaries, university students should get jobs, and people should be able to live in peace and harmony. We expect our government to fulfil all of that.”Being that vocal about their expectations from elected officials is something new for many people in Sri Lanka. That change has been brought about by the protest movement, says Buwanaka Perera, a youth political activist.“People are more gutsy in confronting the state or in confronting what’s wrong,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s not just the state, it’s trickled down to everyday things - it can be in your household, it can be in your streets. To make a stand to voice out and to look out for one another.”Ms Brahmananayake agrees, calling it a lasting impact of her efforts and the thousands of others who participated in the uprising two years ago.“People are talking about politics now. They are asking questions. I think people have the power in their hands. They can vote.”Like her, climate and political activist Melani Gunathilaka, 37, knows the path forward will not be easy for Sri Lanka, but they have hope.“There hasn’t been a change in the political and economic culture - but there has been a massive change in terms of society,” she says.“For the first time people took charge, people exercised their democratic rights to do what’s right for the country.”Who are the candidates?Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time former prime minister, was appointed president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted in 2022.The 75-year-old, who faced the monumental task of trying to lead Sri Lanka out of economic collapse, has been accused of protecting the Rajapaksa family, allowing them to regroup, while shielding them from prosecution - allegations he has denied.Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the candidate of the leftist National People’s Party alliance.His promises of tough anti-corruption measures and good governance have boosted his candidacy, positioning the 55-year-old as a serious contender.Sajith Premadasa, the runner-up last time, is the leader of the country’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).Earlier this week, he told news agency AP that he would ensure that the rich would pay more taxes and the poor would see their conditions improve if he won.Namal Rajapaksa comes from a powerful political clan that produced two presidents.The 38-year-old’s campaign has centred around the legacy of his father, who is still seen as a hero by some Sri Lankans for presiding over the bloody end to the civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels. But he needs to win over voters who blame the Rajapaksas for the economic crisis. Sri Lanka’s plantation workers live on the margins. But politicians still want their votes (AP)
AP [9/18/2024 3:04 AM, Eranga Jayawardena and Krishan Francis, 456K, Neutral]
Whoever Sri Lanka’s next president is, Muthuthevarkittan Manohari isn’t expecting much to change in her daily struggle to feed the four children and elderly mother with whom she lives in a dilapidated room in a tea plantation.
Both leading candidates in Saturday’s presidential election are promising to give land to the country’s hundreds of thousands of plantation workers, but Manohari says she’s heard it all before. Sri Lanka’s plantation workers are a long-marginalized group who frequently live in dire poverty, but they can swing elections by voting as a bloc.
Mahohari and her family are descended from Indian indentured laborers who were brought in by the British during colonial rule to work on plantations that grew first coffee, and later tea and rubber. Those crops are still Sri Lanka’s leading foreign exchange earners.
For 200 years, the community has lived on the margins of Sri Lankan society. Soon after the country became independent in 1948, the new government stripped them of citizenship and voting rights. Around 400,000 people were deported to India under an agreement with Delhi, separating many families.
The community fought for its rights, winning in stages until achieving full recognition as citizens in 2003.
There are around 1.5 million descendants of plantation workers living in Sri Lanka today, including about 3.5% of the electorate, and some 470,000 people still live on plantations. The plantation community has the highest levels of poverty, malnutrition, anaemia among women and alcoholism in the country, and some of the lowest levels of education.
They’re an important voting bloc, turned out by unions that double as political parties that ally with the country’s major parties.
Despite speaking the Tamil language, they’re treated as a distinct group from the island’s indigenous Tamils, who live mostly in the north and east. Still, they suffered during the 26-year civil war between government forces and Tamil Tiger separatists. Plantation workers and their descendants faced mob violence, arrests and imprisonment because of their ethnicity.
Most plantation workers live in crowded dwellings called “line houses,” owned by plantation companies. Tomoya Obokata, a U.N. special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, said after a visit in 2022 that five to ten people often share a single 10-by-12-foot (3.05-by-3.6 meter) room, often without windows, a proper kitchen, running water or electricity. Several families frequently share a single basic latrine.
There are no proper medical facilities in the plantations, and the sick are attended to by so-called estate medical assistants who do not have medical degrees.“These substandard living conditions, combined with the harsh working conditions, represent clear indicators of forced labour and may also amount to serfdom in some instances,” Obokata wrote in a report to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
The government has made some efforts to improve conditions for the planation workers, but years of fiscal crisis and the resistance of powerful plantation companies have blunted progress. Access to education has improved, and a small group of entrepreneurs, professionals and academics descended from planation workers has emerged.
This year, the government negotiated a raise in the minimum daily wage for a plantation worker to 1,350 rupees ($4.50) per day, plus an additional dollar if a worker picks more than 22 kilos in a day. Workers say this target is almost impossible to achieve, in part because tea bushes are often neglected and grow sparsely.
The government has built better houses for some families and the Indian government is helping to build more, said Periyasamy Muthulingam, executive director of Sri Lanka’s Institute of Social Development, which works on plantation worker rights.
But many promises have gone unfulfilled. “All political parties have promised to build better houses during elections but they don’t implement it when they are in power,” Muthulingam said.
Muthulingam says more than 90% of the planation community is landless because they have been left out of the government’s land distribution programs.
In this election, sitting President Ranil Wickremesinghe standing as an independent candidate has promised to give the line houses and the land they stand on to the people who live in them, and help develop them into villages. The main opposition candidate, Sajith Premadasa, has promised to break up the plantations and distribute the land to the workers as small holdings.
Both proposals will face resistance from the plantation companies.
Manohari says she’s not holding out hope. She’s more concerned with what’s going to happen to her 16-year-old son after he was forced to drop out of school due to lack of funds.“The union leaders come every time promising us houses and land and I would like to have them,” she said. “But they never happen as promised.” India’s Strategic Stakes in Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [9/17/2024 5:00 AM, Rathindra Kuruwita, 1198K, Neutral]
India has always had a vested interest in Sri Lanka’s politics. This is evident yet again as the September 21 presidential election in the strategically located Indian Ocean island approaches.
One of the key reasons underlying India’s interest in Sri Lankan elections is the island’s proximity to India. India has a large Tamil population and so does Sri Lanka. These populations not only have linguistic and cultural similarities but also kinship bonds. Politics on either side of the Palk Straits have had an impact on developments on the other side.
Moreover, Sri Lanka lies near southern India, where several of India’s vital security and scientific installations, such as nuclear power plants, space research centers, and naval bases are located. India’s primary concern has been ensuring that no foreign power, especially one it views as antagonistic, gains undue influence over Sri Lanka.
For the last decade and a half, China has been the external force India is most wary of, prompting India to support Sri Lankan politicians who are either critical of or opposed to China’s growing influence.It is well known in Colombo political circles that in the 2010 and 2015 presidential elections, India supported former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka and Maithripala Sirisena of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), respectively. India chose to support the two because they were contesting against Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had worked closely with China for a decade. Therefore, it is safe to say that India will support the candidate who is least likely to support or is against China among the frontrunners in this election, as well.
Sri Lanka has four main contenders for the September 21 presidential election. They are Anura Kumara Dissanayake representing the National People’s Power (NPP), President Ranil Wickremesinghe contesting as an independent candidate, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and Namal Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Out of those, Dissanayake and Premadasa are the frontrunners and when election results are declared on September 22, one of the two men will likely be declared the ninth executive president of Sri Lanka.
In a previous article, I argued that Dissanayake would be China’s preferred candidate. Dissanayake’s NPP has its foundation in the center-left political tradition, with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) - the main driving force within the NPP - tracing its origins to the pro-China faction of the Sri Lanka Communist Party in the 1960s. Despite a much-publicized visit to India earlier this year, the NPP has not changed its stance against India. Although the NPP is not an anti-India party, its growing popularity stems largely from its strong stance against the sale of national assets to foreign companies. The NPP has been vocal in opposing India’s Adani Group’s acquisition of control over key sectors such as Sri Lankan ports, renewable energy, and airports. The Narendra Modi government is tied at the hip with Adani.
A few days ago, Dissanayake threatened to cancel the controversial energy deal with Adani because the agreement is against the country’s national interest. Appearing on a television talk show, the NPP leader said that Sri Lanka has agreed to purchase each unit of renewable energy Adani produces at its wind farm in Mannar at twice the market rate. Dissanayake said that while he supports South Asian energy connectivity, he is against agreements that weaken the Sri Lankan economy and the competitiveness of its businesses. Dissanayake has also promised to keep poaching Indian fishermen away from Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
On the other hand, Premadasa and his associates are more inclined toward India, and his SJB, being an offshoot of the right-wing United National Party (UNP), is much more suspicious about China. Even as early as the 1950s, the UNP was against the establishment of diplomatic relations with China and in the 1960s it had wanted Sri Lanka to declare China as the aggressor against India during the China-India border war. The current generation of the SJB leadership is also skeptical of China. The SJB has often criticized China for its debt trap diplomacy. Premadasa is the only main contender who has agreed to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the constitution, which has been a constant Indian demand on Sri Lanka.
Premadasa also has the support of the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), a political party that has close ties with India. It is speculatedthat Ajit Doval, India’s national security adviser, who was in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with member states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) and the Charter for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat, had influenced Tamil parties to support Premadasa.With the loss of an ally in Bangladesh, India finds itself with fewer friends in South Asia. In response, India has been working to repair and strengthen ties with both the Maldives and Sri Lanka in recent years. Ensuring a friendly administration in Sri Lanka is crucial for India, as it seeks to maintain the strong relationship Prime Minister Modi currently enjoys with the country’s right-wing, China-skeptic government.
India’s involvement in the upcoming presidential election is driven by its desire to counter Chinese influence in Sri Lanka. With Premadasa representing a pro-India stance and Dissanayake leaning more toward China, the election’s outcome can significantly shape Sri Lanka’s foreign policy direction. While India’s support for Premadasa aligns with its broader geopolitical interests, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to secure a victory in an election where the balance of power is tightly contested. Cash-strapped Sri Lanka Eyes China Development (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [9/17/2024 11:27 PM, Amal Jayasinghe, 502K, Neutral]
Sri Lanka’s economic collapse was partly blamed on struggling high-debt Chinese mega-projects, but candidates in Saturday’s presidential election are banking on at least one of them to buck the trend.
The strategically located Indian Ocean country suffered its worst financial meltdown in 2022, when it ran out of dollars to import essentials, sparking street protests that toppled the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
When the island nation plunged into chaos, CIA chief Bill Burns blamed its economic collapse on what he called "dumb bets" on Chinese-funded projects.
These include an international airport without flights, a seaport without ships, an empty convention centre, and a $113 million, 350-metre (1,155-foot) communication tower shunned by broadcasters.
Colombo has since secured a $2.9 billion IMF bailout loan, but whoever is elected will face huge loans and interest accumulated since Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt.
All top three candidates -- incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka -- are hoping a Chinese-funded real estate "Port City" development will woo much-needed foreign investors.
Past projects, dubbed "white elephants" by critics, were built with generous loans from China’s infrastructure development programme known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which Western nations criticise as a debt trap for developing countries.
In December 2017, unable to repay a huge Chinese loan, Sri Lanka handed its Hambantota port in the south of the island to a Beijing company on a 99-year lease for $1.12 billion.
The Port City development began in 2014, when the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) invested $1.4 billion to reclaim 269 hectares (665 acres) of land next to Colombo harbour.It bills itself as the "gateway to South Asia", a special economic zone with tax breaks of up to 40 years.
For now, it remains largely empty.
But Revan Wickramasuriya, the chief operating officer of the Port City Economic Commission, the state regulator of the zone, said the authorities expect to attract $12-$15 billion in foreign direct investment to construct buildings and set up hotels, housing, and a marina.
"This is an asset that has been created for Sri Lanka", Wickramasuriya told AFP, underlining that "the government hasn’t borrowed a single dollar to reclaim this land.
"Now it is up to the government of Sri Lanka to actually take this asset and monetise it," he added.
CHEC’s Port City plan says it offers a "world-class global hub" for businesses, promising a "high-freedom, low-risk financial environment".
While election campaigning season was in full swing, President Wickremesinghe, once critical of the project, took time to inaugurate a Duty Free mall at the site -- yet to see major construction -- and secured parliamentary approval to allow offshore banking.
Key challenger Premadasa has vowed to continue with the project, but with unspecified amendments to the terms of the zone.
The coalition of the main leftist candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, has said it would use it to attract "global IT players".
But critics note several businesses moving to the special zone were existing Sri Lankan companies, and a few foreign firms already operating.
"Why are these companies going to Port City? The simple and only reason is that they are getting very generous 25- to 40-year tax holidays," said Imran Furkan, from geopolitical risk analysis firm Tresync.
Furkan also said the development fed into strategic rivalry between China and India, which has previously seen neighbouring Colombo as firmly part of its sphere of influence.
Indian firms that already benefit from tax free zones at home may be reluctant to deal with a landlord that is a state-owned company of China, Furkan said.
"It makes no economic or strategic sense," Furkan warned. Central Asia
Central Asian Leaders, Germany’s Scholz Focus On Closer Economic Ties In Astana (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [9/17/2024 1:21 PM, Staff, 1251K, Neutral]
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on September 17 told the leaders of the five Central Asian states that the development of cooperation with their countries was "a strategic goal" for Germany."Never before has the exchange between our societies been so close -- and it is constantly increasing: politically, economically, and culturally," Scholz said, adding that Berlin wants "to continue and further intensify this."Speaking in Astana at the second summit of the Central Asian states and Germany, Scholz said that "especially in times of global uncertainty, we need close, trusting international partners."Scholz last met with the Central Asian leaders at their first summit with Germany held in Berlin in September 2023 amid efforts to counter Russian influence in the region.The host of the second summit, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, expressed gratitude to German entities that have established cooperation between "one of the world’s leading nations in terms of economic and technological innovations" and the countries of Central Asia.Central Asia is a "dynamically developing region with an enormous potential for development and wide opportunities for mutually profitable partnership," Toqaev said at the summit."By uniting east and west, north and south, Central Asia can become a center of attraction of technologies, localization of production, and producing outputs with a high added value," he said, adding that the region was "open for cooperation in different spheres."Presidents Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Serdar Berdymukhammedov of Turkmenistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoev of Uzbekistan also stressed the importance of cooperation with Germany, but not all agree with Scholz on recognition of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, which he said came to power "illegally."Scholz also called ongoing developments in Afghanistan "depressing" and stressed that the situation faced by Afghan women under Taliban rule was "intolerable."Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week issued a statement calling on Scholz to focus on human rights in the five tightly controlled Central Asian nations during this year’s summit."Serious human rights concerns across the region include suppression of the rights to protest and express opinions, including online, jailing of activists, torture in detention, crackdowns on civil society, violence against women, impunity for abusive security forces, and a lack of free and fair elections," the HRW statement said."The German government cannot pretend closer ties with Central Asia are possible without a significant improvement in human rights in the region. The upcoming summit offers a chance to make this clear," it added. Central Asian states call on Germany to push Europe ties (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [9/17/2024 12:33 PM, Staff, 145937K, Neutral]
Central Asian states on Tuesday urged Germany to invest in their energy and transport sectors, and to help create links with Europe that bypass Russia.The five landlocked countries in a region rich in natural resources want to implement transport links to Europe via the Caspian Sea, thus circumventing both Russia and Iran, which have been hit by Western sanctions."The further integration of transport and logistics systems between Central Asia and Europe is an urgent task," said Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, head of the region’s largest economy, during a three-day visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.Following up on a first "5+1" summit organised between one European leader and the presidents of the five Central Asian former Soviet republics a year ago, Scholz made the first trip to the region by a German chancellor in more than 20 years.In recent months, the Central Asian states have been pushing for the creation of a transport corridor through the Caspian Sea, which lies between Azerbaijan in the southwest and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to the northeast and southeast respectively."We are counting on Germany’s help to connect this route to the trans-European transport network," said Tokayev.Beyond the export of gas, oil and rare earths, the prospect of sending sustainable energy such as hydrogen, with its limited environmental impact, from Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea is gaining momentum."We invite German partners to participate in this strategic project," said Tokayev.Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, dozens of leaders have visited a region where post-Soviet era Russian power is now contested."Central Asia’s role is growing at the international level," said Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov."Our region has everything it needs to develop: natural resources, rare earths, enormous green energy potential" but "climate change is a serious threat for Central Asia," said Japarov, who called for German cooperation in the environmental sphere.The summit also addressed the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan amid a softening of the diplomatic stance of the Central Asian republics towards the Taliban and a stepping up of economic contact with Kabul.The region’s states have "the desire to interact with Germany and other European partners to implement joint projects involving this country in regional economic cooperation," said Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Central Asian leaders seek German expertise to build manufacturing base (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [9/17/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
Central Asian leaders sent German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a clear and consistent message during his three-day visit to the region: ‘to get, you’ve got to give.’
The five Central Asian heads of state gathered in the Kazakh capital Astana on September 17 for a meeting with Scholz, with discussions focusing on expanding trade between the West and Central Asia. Germany is particularly interested in boosting natural gas imports from the region as part of a continuing pan-European Union effort to pivot away from Russian energy. No specific deals were announced at the meeting’s conclusion, but all sides were upbeat about the future, holding out the possibility that agreements can be reached in the not-too-distant future.“Exchanges between our societies have never been so close, and they are constantly growing,” the DPA news agency quoted Scholz as saying.
The meeting’s host, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reciprocated the goodwill, saying “the thorough exchange of views that took place reinforced the mutual interest of the leaders in further deepening cooperation.” He also emphasized that energy issues will play a “key role” in guiding relations.
Tokayev’s remarks during the meeting offered a rough roadmap for future trade relations. He indicated Kazakhstan and other regional states would be more than happy to help Germany, along with other EU states, meet its energy needs. But Central Asia is looking for something more than just money in return for energy exports.
Describing Germany as a world leader in “the field of economic and technological innovation,” Tokayev said Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states want to tap into German know-how with the aim of promoting the “localization of production and the production of products with high added value.” Among the economic sectors he mentioned that could benefit from German technology transfers were finance, agriculture, transit logistics and information technology.
Tokayev also made it clear that Kazakhstan sought German expertise, along with investment, to develop Central Asia’s green energy agenda, specifically mentioning an initiative undertaken by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to develop solar- and wind-power plants to generate electricity for export to the EU. “We invite our German partners to consider the possibility of participating in this strategic project,” Tokayev dropped a not-so-subtle hint.
Before visiting Kazakhstan, Scholz stopped in Uzbekistan, where a similar ‘give-get’ dynamic governed his talks in Samarkand with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The chief outcome was a politically expedient deal under which Germany can send would-be Afghan migrants to Uzbekistan for eventual repatriation to Afghanistan; in return, Berlin agreed to accept Uzbek skilled workers to fill employment opportunities in Germany. “With our agreement … we are enabling people with great talents to enter our country. Also, we committed to un-bureaucratic processes so that those who cannot stay in our country must go back,” Scholz wrote on his X channel.
For Scholz, the agreement shows that his embattled Social Democrat-led government is addressing the migration issue at home. Simmering dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of migration has caused an erosion of popular support for his coalition and was widely cited as a major factor in the strong performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party in recent state elections.
The deal is also a win for Mirziyoyev, whose administration is trying to shift Uzbekistan’s economic orientation from being mainly a producer of raw materials to a manufacturer of finished goods. As part of the overhaul, the government is attempting to reorganize the country’s labor market, in particular labor migration, by creating more opportunities for skilled workers abroad.
By extension, the German-Uzbek agreement can potentially benefit the militant Taliban leadership in Kabul, which, since regaining power in 2021, has sought to gain international recognition of its rule. Tashkent, of late, has sought to engage the Taliban, aiming to stabilize conditions along Uzbekistan’s southern border, as well as gain some say over the completion and operation of the controversial Kosh-Tepa canal project. As part of its engagement drive, Uzbekistan has agreed to process comparatively small amounts of Afghan crude oil to help meet domestic needs in Afghanistan. The Uzbek government also recently agreed on a investment deal worth potentially up to $2.5 billion with the Taliban.
If the Taliban accepts the return of Afghan nationals sent from Germany to Uzbekistan, the militant movement would demonstrate that it can act as a responsible international actor, potentially helping its efforts to legitimize its rule. Tajiks Skeptical That Attack On Top Islamic Leader Was ‘Hooliganism’ (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [9/18/2024 5:03 AM, Farangis Najibullah, 235K, Neutral]
Tajikistan’s top Islamic leader has not been seen in public since an unprecedented stabbing attack last week that witnesses say left him with a knife wound on his forehead.
Police seem to be downplaying the September 11 assault on Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda, head of the state-backed Ulema Council of the Islamic Center -- the highest Islamic authority in the predominantly Muslim country -- describing it as an act of "hooliganism."
The police said in a statement that he was "lightly wounded" in the attack and was discharged from hospital on the same day after being examined by doctors.
But many Tajiks doubt the attack in Dushanbe’s central mosque shortly after the afternoon prayers was a random act of hooliganism.
Critics suspect the assault is linked to the Ulema Council’s role in supporting the staunchly secular government’s increasingly restrictive policies on religion.
Authorities said the perpetrator is in custody but have not released any details about him or his motives or any affiliations. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Eyewitnesses told RFE/RL that a knife-wielding young man stabbed Abdulqodirzoda in the courtyard of the packed mosque as he was speaking to mosque-goers after the prayers.
"Abdulqodirzoda sustained a knife wound on his forehead. Mosque-goers immediately subdued the attacker. Police were on the scene very quickly because the district police headquarters are located nearby," an eyewitness said on condition of anonymity.
A source close to the matter said the attacker is a resident of the Dushanbe suburbs but did not give further details.
Contacted by RFE/RL late on September 11, Abdulqodirzoda, 61, said in the brief phone call that he was "doing fine" and that there was "nothing to worry about."
Police and other government officials declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Independent In Name Only
The absence of official information has led to speculation about reasons behind the attack on Abdulqodirzoda, who has led the council since 2010. He is also referred to as the mufti, a term used in Central Asia for a country’s top religious leader.
Many Tajiks believe Abdulqodirzoda may have been targeted for his and the council’s unequivocal support for government policies that are widely criticized for restricting religious freedom.
In a recent move, Abdulqodirzoda angered many Muslims -- both in Tajikistan and internationally -- by backing the authorities’ long-standing and unpopular campaign against "clothes alien to Tajik culture," a term used by officials to describe Islamic clothing.
In July, the council issued a fatwa -- a religious edict -- against "black clothing," a Tajik euphemism for the Islamic hijab.
The fatwa came just days after parliament officially outlawed "alien garments" following nearly two decades of an unofficial ban on the hijab in schools and the workplace.
Muhamadjon Kabirov, chief editor of the Tajik-language news website AzdaTV, which is based in Poland, said he believes the motive behind the attack on Abdulqodirzoda reflects a discontent in society with the council and its chief.
"Tajik society sees the mufti as a government official, not a religious leader," Kabirov said. "People believe that his aim is not to defend citizens’ religious liberty. On the contrary, they believe his mission is to promote the government’s policies, which include undermining people’s religious traditions."
In the northern province of Sughd, a schoolteacher who requested anonymity told RFE/RL the attack may have been carried out "by someone who is angry with the mufti’s work, but it does not mean all people support such acts."
"Personally, I don’t trust the mufti or the Islamic Council, but I don’t believe that violence is the answer," the teacher said. "People are condemning this attack even if they are unhappy with him."
The Ulema Council is, legally, an independent body. But like the other official religious bodies in Central Asian countries it operates under strict government control.
Tajik authorities also tightly control the operation of all mosques. Imams are appointed with the tacit agreement of local government officials.
The council and government officials often conduct tests they say are aimed at evaluating the imams’ knowledge of religious and state matters.
All recommendations and edicts by the council -- the only fatwa-issuing body in Tajikistan -- reflect the government’s policies. The religious edicts are nonbinding but have symbolic significance.
In 2018, the council recommended the workers at the construction site of the Roghun hydropower plant "postpone" their fasting during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
The council said the dawn-to-dusk fasting puts a strain on the well-being of the workers engaged in tough physical labor. The massive Roghun is an important strategic project for the government.
In 2014, the council announced that revolting against authorities and cooperating with domestic or foreign organizations -- including media outlets whose goal is to "destabilize" the country is considered a "major sin."
Abdulqodirzoda has said the "the duty of Islamic figures is to promote moderate Islam that wishes peace and stability for all." Twitter
Afghanistan
Rep. Scott Peters@RepScottPeters
[9/17/2024 4:09 PM, 30.2K followers, 7 retweets, 19 likes]
Three years ago @AfghanEvac began its work with @StateDept to evacuate American citizens, Afghan allies, and other at-risk people from Afghanistan. Since then, they have moved mountains to fulfill our obligations to these people. I look forward to continuing my work with them to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 5:30 PM, 236.6K followers, 62 retweets, 281 likes]
Thread Afghanistan needs a government in exile or a political office led by women as an alternative to the Taliban. For three years, Afghan men have failed to unite, and with no inclusive voice for all Afghans, Afghan women could fill this political void.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 5:31 PM, 236.6K followers, 7 retweets, 39 likes] Afghanistan could learn from the Belarusian and Syrian exiled governments, which gained global support and legitimacy. A women-led Afghan government in exile could offer a unified and inclusive vision.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 5:39 PM, 236.6K followers, 6 retweets, 30 likes]
Women suffer most under the Taliban, facing severe restrictions. Their leadership, reflecting these stakes, would be both effective and easily recognized globally in the fight for justice and freedom in Afghanistan.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 5:44 PM, 236.6K followers, 3 retweets, 28 likes]
If forming a full government is too ambitious, then a political office led by Afghan women could serve as a platform for diplomacy and advocacy, much like the Taliban’s office in Qatar once did, keeping Afghan issues on the global agenda.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 5:48 PM, 236.6K followers, 5 retweets, 31 likes]
A women-led government or political office in exile, with rotational leadership, would offer both unity and a compelling global presence for Afghanistan. It would address the lack of political alternatives to the Taliban, creating a genuine and effective countermeasure.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[9/17/2024 6:06 PM, 236.6K followers, 9 retweets, 27 likes]
Afghan men have failed to unite over the past three years due to deep ethnic and political divisions. In contrast, Afghan women showed their capacity for unity by successfully gathering at the first all-women summit.
Shaharzad Akbar@ShaharzadAkbar
[9/17/2024 7:34 AM, 174.8K followers, 55 retweets, 108 likes]
Taliban are the enemy of life, enemy of health. Who else would suspend polio vaccinations, putting children at risk? This is outrageous and infuriting. What is a priortiy if it is not eridaciting polio and saving children?
Lina Rozbih@LinaRozbih
[9/17/2024 7:10 AM, 416.6K followers, 11 retweets, 33 likes]
Creation of an "Afghan government in exile" is not a bad idea but the bizarre part of this proposed solution by Afghanistan’s politicians is that Northern Alliance leaders and another group that is consisted of Pashton politicians are discussing this issue separately ...so should we expect two Afghan governments in exile? ...And women are missing from both of those groups! Pakistan
Government of Pakistan@GovtofPakistan
[9/18/2024 2:34 AM, 3.1M followers, 1 retweet, 1 like]
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexei Overchuk, is leading a high-level delegation to Pakistan on 18-19 September 2024. Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk will hold meetings with the President, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Pakistan and Russia enjoy cordial relations based on goodwill, amity and trust, which is reflected in the multi-faceted bilateral cooperation including in trade, energy and connectivity.
Government of Pakistan@GovtofPakistan
[9/17/2024 11:46 AM, 3.1M followers, 18 retweets, 96 likes]
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif gives his remarks at Mehfil-e-Milaad on the eve of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH), today in Lahore.
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[9/17/2024 9:46 PM, 73.6K followers, 155 retweets, 828 likes]
A stupid decision by KP govt has now escalated into a full blown diplomatic standoff between Pakistan and Afghanistan. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[9/17/2024 11:47 PM, 102M followers, 2.4K retweets, 13K likes]
During my recent Gujarat visit, I went to the home of Jagshibhai Suthar. He and his family have benefitted from the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. I also met other beneficiaries of this scheme. Here are the highlights…
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[9/18/2024 9:37 AM, 102M followers, 2.8K retweets, 18K likes]
As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections begins, I urge all those in constituencies going to the polls today to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly call upon young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[9/17/2024 11:00 AM, 102M followers, 7.1K retweets, 52K likes]
Humbled and honoured to receive so much warmth from people. I thank each and every person who has conveyed birthday greetings to me. This affection gives me immense strength to keep working harder for the people. This is also the time our third term completes 100 days. I am glad that the last 100 days have been marked by a series of pro-people and development oriented decisions, which will add strength in our pursuit of building a Viksit Bharat. Several people have taken part in social service efforts today. I salute their spirit and convey my appreciation for these efforts.Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[9/17/2024 4:27 AM, 102M followers, 4.1K retweets, 24K likes]
Delightful conversations over tea! Sat down with PM Awas Yojana beneficiaries and heard their life journeys. Particularly gladdening to see large number of women benefitting from this scheme. They spoke of how this scheme, and other such schemes are transforming lives.
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[9/18/2024 2:49 AM, 25.7M followers, 54 retweets, 258 likes]
LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu addresses the 18th convocation ceremony of Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur in Rajasthan https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKODPENbkGR
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[9/17/2024 6:21 AM, 25.7M followers, 207 retweets, 1K likes]
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 8th India Water Week in New Delhi. The President said that our ancient water management systems should be researched and utilised in the modern context.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[9/17/2024 10:58 AM, 3.2M followers, 222 retweets, 1.5K likes]
An engaging conversation with participants of 2nd Global South Young Diplomats Forum today. Highlighted the importance of robust partnerships within the Global South to face economic, developmental and geopolitical challenges of our times. Spoke about India’s efforts at fostering collective initiatives and sharing development experiences in Digital, Health and Energy transitions with the Global South.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[9/17/2024 11:31 PM, 213.2K followers, 9 likes]
Trump is unlikely to crash the UNGA meetings or Quad leaders summit, which leaves three possibilities (1) He’ll join Modi at a diaspora event (“Howdy Modi” redux) (2) He’ll have a private meeting with Modi, presumably in NYC (3) He’s not actually meeting Modi next week. NSB
Tarique Rahman@trahmanbnp
[9/17/2024 10:01 AM, 64.7K followers, 122 retweets, 819 likes]
The interim government, emerging from the sacrifice of thousands and the will of millions, cannot be allowed to fail. Its failure would be a collective failure for the pro-democracy people of Bangladesh. We must remain vigilant against conspiracies from various factions and come together to ensure it succeeds in establishing democratic reform. The political empowerment of the people will be achieved only by establishing an elected parliament and a government with public mandate and accountability. This should be the primary target of all reform initiatives. Through free, fair, and credible elections – safeguarding the right of every voter to cast their vote and choose their desired representative – can this empowerment be achieved. This, in turn, will ensure sustainability in democracy, development, and reform. Towards that goal, priority must be given to reforming the Election Commission, public administration, and law enforcement agencies. These key constitutional institutions must be made neutral, competent, and credible. The interim government should set its agenda based on these priorities, aligning with the aspirations of the pro-democracy people of Bangladesh and upholding the values of the mass uprising.
Sabria Chowdhury Balland@sabriaballand
[9/17/2024 3:02 AM, 7.2K followers, 4 likes]
#Bangladesh has approached the UK for help probing the overseas wealth of allies of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as the new government cracks down on members of her ousted autocratic regime.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[9/17/2024 5:32 AM, 54.7K followers, 51 retweets, 59 likes]
The newly appointed Chief of Mission for IOM for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Ms. @Kristinbparco presented her credentials to Minister @MoosaZameer today. Both sides expressed hope to strengthen collaborative efforts in addressing migration issues across a range of fields.
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[9/18/2024 1:27 AM, 436.3K followers, 5 likes]
With #NamalDakma, I’m advocating for #Transparency and #Accountability through forensic audits, transparent procurement, and parliamentary oversight. A corruption-free Sri Lanka starts with open governance—for you! #Namal2024 #NamalVision
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[9/17/2024 8:59 AM, 436.3K followers, 1 retweet, 8 likes]
With #NamalDakma, I’m leveraging local talent, attracting global investment, and building manufacturing clusters to make Sri Lanka a leader in #HighPrecision tech. A prosperous, innovative future—for you #Namal2024 #NamalVision #ManufacturingHub
Eran Wickramaratne@EranWick
[9/18/2024 12:11 AM, 69.1K followers, 7 retweets, 21 likes]
An SJB govt will not wait till the end of the general election to start maintaining macroeconomic fundamentals. It will begin with a new Cabinet of Ministers soon after Sajith Premadasa becomes President and parliament is dissolved, as reported in Daily FT today. https://ft.lk/business/Eran-says-SJB-will-start-renegotiation-with-IMF-immediately-after-Sajith-becomes-President/34-766834
Eran Wickramaratne@EranWick[9/17/2024 12:10 PM, 69.1K followers, 11 retweets, 38 likes]
Many people who govern our country have never had a real job. They are given a microphone at age 15, continue with the mic at 25, and still have the mic at 55. But we believe their words, vote them in to leadership, and expect them to transform Sri Lanka. Unless professionals in the private sector and civil society come into the political system, we will never make the change we need. Unfortunately, Karu Jayasuriya and I are the only MPs in 76 years of the Sri Lankan parliament who have been CEOs of a listed company. This must change, if we want real change.
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[9/17/2024 5:26 AM, 356.7K followers, 17 retweets, 133 likes]
#SriLanka stands at crossroads. On Sept 21, we choose our future. Will we embrace reform & progress, or stay trapped in the past? @sajithpremadasa & @sjbsrilanka have a clear vision: an advanced social market economy that lifts all Sri Lankans. Choose wisely. #Electionlka Central Asia
Javlon Vakhabov@JavlonVakhabov
[9/17/2024 3:44 AM, 6K followers, 2 retweets, 3 likes]
The second Central Asia - Germany summit has officially begun in Astana. All Central Asian presidents and @Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz joined the meeting.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[9/17/2024 5:30 AM, 200.2K followers, 3 retweets, 11 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev sent congratulations to @PMOIndia @narendramodi on his birthday, wishing him good health, long life, and continued success in his state activities. He also wished the friendly people of #India peace, well-being, and constant prosperity.
Bakhtiyor Saidov@FM_Saidov
[9/17/2024 10:40 AM, 6.3K followers, 6 retweets, 15 likes]
During the #CentralAsia – #Germany Summit, @President_Uz H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted the profound and fundamental changes in Central Asia and proposed the following:- adopting a long-term Concept for the development of our partnership;- establishing the Central Asia – Germany Forum of Think Tanks;- developing a "road map" for expanding investment and technological cooperation;- launching “Central Asia-Germany” Council of Investors and Entrepreneurs;- implementing the Digital Mapping Program of Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Metals;- launching an Energy Dialogue; - preparing a Comprehensive Capacity Building Program for specialists in the low-carbon economy;- implementing joint educational programs and scientific exchanges at the Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies, as well as adopting cooperation programs for the introduction of German water management technologies;- holding a Ministerial Conference next year on improving transport connectivity;- adopting a Joint Plan for Cultural Activities, holding Central Asian Art and Film Days in major cities of Germany, and establishing cooperation between museums;- launching a platform for partnership among leading universities;- implementing joint projects aimed at involving Afghanistan in regional economic cooperation.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[9/17/2024 7:25 AM, 23.7K followers, 2 retweets, 4 likes]
Uzbekistan: Dubai-based Harbour Gate International’s Farhodjon Rasulov (originally from Andijan UZ) argues that Western investors are often too slow and “expect too much too soon.” He sees Surkhandarya, bordering Afghanistan, “as a gem” yet to be explored by foreign businesses. More here: https://youtu.be/RysMVXLc7xI{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.