SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Tuesday, February 18, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
They Were Promised Flights to the U.S. Now They’re Stuck and in Danger (TIME)
TIME [2/14/2025 2:22 PM, Belinda Luscombe, 57114K]
Hamida organized rural women’s health clinics and a network of midwives. Mohammad guarded detainees for the U.S. Army. Hekmatullah’s brother worked on U.S. government projects. Suhrab’s father was a high-level judge who presided over sensitive cases. Kheyal trained fieldworkers for an international aid organization. All of them fled Afghanistan with their families for Pakistan, sometime after the messy withdrawal of the U.S. military in 2021. They worked their way through the lengthy process of legally entering the United States as refugees. Several of them had plane tickets to America.
Now they are stuck.
One of the first things President Donald Trump did when he arrived in office was to suspend the Refugee Admissions Program for 90 days. This effectively meant all work stopped on processing the paperwork of people fleeing to the U.S. because of persecution. One refugee agency told TIME that more than 500 flights for more than 1,000 already vetted refugees from the region were canceled.
Shortly after the Executive Order was signed, the government of Pakistan, which says it houses some 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan (some of whom arrived during the Soviet occupation ), announced that Afghan residents who could not find a country to take them had to leave Rawalpindi and Islamabad—the cities where most of them live because they have access to the internet and government and aid offices—by March 31. After that time they will be repatriated.
According to according to Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac,a coalition of veterans and other groups working in the region, 15,000 or so Pakistan-based Afghan refugees were approved as ready to travel. They are now at a terrifying impasse. They cannot push forward, nor can they pull back. Their cases will not progress until at least April 25, and possibly never. They will be even more unwelcome in Pakistan beyond March 31 and nothing but poverty and jeopardy await them in Afghanistan, where recent returnees are viewed with deep suspicion or worse. One refugee says he was warned of "unknown armed men" killing returnees. "The only armed men in Afghanistan are Taliban," he adds.
TIME talked to several people who were stranded by the pause, and agreed to use only one of their or their relatives’ names to prevent reprisals by the Afghan authorities or discovery by the Pakistani authorities.
Hamida was due to fly to Doha and then Pennsylvania on Feb. 3, with her husband and young child. On Jan. 25, she got an email from her contact at the International Organization for Migration informing her that she would not be traveling. She had left Afghanistan on the pleading of her father-in-law, who said he had been told by the local authorities that her prior work with maternal-health NGOs would mean her presence at their compound could endanger the whole family.
She is terrified of returning. Once they figure out who she is, she says, "I’m 100% sure I won’t be alive more than a week there." She currently lives in a one-room home. The 30-month visa process, during which her claim to refugee status was vetted and approved, has depleted their savings. To avoid being picked up by Pakistani police, they lock the door of their one-room apartment and stay hidden for most of the day. Her husband no longer goes to the laboring jobs he used to do. Their child rarely goes outside. They shop for groceries at night. Now the former project manager with a staff of 60 supports her family doing at-home tailoring work. "We will try to survive here if we can," she says. "I don’t know what we will do, but I’m sure we will not go to Afghanistan.".
In many ways Hekmatullah’s brother is luckier than Hamida. Hekmatullah arrived in the U.S. a year ago on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), which is given to those who served alongside the U.S. Army. (This program is also currently not operating.) He can support his brother financially. But in other ways he’s in the same boat. Hekmatullah was told to expect his brother to arrive in Missouri on Feb. 5, but on Jan. 25 he got an email from his local refugee resettlement agency saying the trip had been canceled.
His brother, who worked for several American NGOs during the conflict is now on the move, staying at different rentals and friends’ homes every few nights to avoid being caught and sent back to Afghanistan. "The Pakistan government is searching for the Afghan refugees everywhere in Pakistan to arrest them and deport them to their country," says Hekmatullah. "But in Afghanistan, you’re not getting deported. They will arrest you." (The Pakistani embassy did not answer questions sent via email.).
Kheyal’s family completed the paperwork and their travel documents were requested in December. He, his wife, and children were expecting their flight details any day. "Until 20 January, we were really hopeful every day," he says. They are surviving on savings from his previous job, which he quit partly because he was expecting to move to the U.S. Recently the Pakistani government started requiring monthly rather than six-month extensions on visas. Each one, with what might euphemistically be called "handling fees," costs $200. The police visit his apartment building frequently.
It is 3 a.m. where he is when he speaks to TIME, but Kheyal says nobody in his house is sleeping. "Once we heard that the process is suspended, then we cannot sleep, we cannot eat," he says. "My children are depressed. They have access to social media. They hear everything. I cannot hide anything from them." He’s hoping to wait out the pause in Pakistan.
Suhrab’s family cannot wait. His father was a judge who had to hide in relatives’ homes when the Taliban took power, as people he sentenced came to take revenge. The judge and his family arrived in Pakistan in January 2022. Their resettlement was being handled by Welcome Corps, a Biden-era program in which a group of U.S. citizens—in this case, a church in East Tennessee—can sponsor a refugee. That program is suspended.
From the safety of the west, Suhrab sometimes works double shifts to support them. His brother, who has also left the region, sends money too. The family and the church group in Tennessee are looking for another country to take them, although very few nations give visas to Afghan passport holders. "I’m super scared," says Suhrab, sitting in his car during a lunch break at work. "What if they catch them and they force them to get out from Pakistan? I don’t know what will happen to them.".
The church group is also taken aback. "It does surprise me that our American government is doing that, especially against refugees," says Melva McGinnis, who coordinated the Welcome Corps program at the church, which has previously sponsored another Afghan family. "The previous government—it was like anyone and their brother can come in, legal or illegal. It isn’t fair that people that are trying to come to the States the legal way shouldn’t be allowed to come. I think they should.".
President Trump’s move was not unexpected, however. He massively reduced the number of refugees allowed into the country last time he was in office, even before the arrival of COVID-19-related restrictions. Generally surveys show a wide swath of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum support America accepting refugees, and even higher numbers support accepting refugees from Afghanistan who were allied to the American cause. Under President Biden, the number of refugees admitted per year went from a historic low of 11,400 in 2021 to a 30-year high of more than 100,000 in 2024—although the total number during his term is dwarfed by how many refugees were admitted by both President Carter (375,000) and President Reagan (660,000 over two terms).
More surprising perhaps is the abandonment of Afghan military personnel who fought alongside the U.S. forces. Mohammad helped guard detainees at a U.S. air base. He has gone through the process of applying to come to America twice. After waiting 18 months for his SIV, he also applied for a refugee visa, but the processing was not finished before the three-month pause began. He, his wife, two brothers, and sister-in-law are living in a shack in a slum. "My situation is no good," he says. "We have no money for food or medicine." He and his family eat once a day, with help from sympathetic locals.
VanDiver, of #AfghanEvac, says his bipartisan group is reaching out to Republicans in Congress to see if a carve-out can be made for already-approved refugees stranded in Pakistan or Afghanistan, which he estimates at about 65,000 people, including 50,000 still in Afghanistan. "We have a broad cross section of America that’s represented in our ecosystem," he says. "Ninety percent of the American public supports this effort. It is not something that is unpopular.".
Eric Lebo, a former Navy Reservist, served with Mohammed at the air base. "We couldn’t do our job if it wasn’t for him and his soldiers," says Lebo, now a truck driver in California. "There’s all kinds of refugee and immigration stuff going on," he adds. "But I mean, people like Mohammed are soldiers who served alongside the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Their lives are in danger.".
Mohammed’s brother and parents still live in Afghanistan. Recently, he says—and texts a gruesome photo—his brother was shot in the face. Mohammed thinks the assailants mistook his brother for him. Trump order strands pregnant wife of interpreter who helped Colorado senator (Denver Post)
Denver Post [2/15/2025 8:00 AM, Bruce Finley, 3188K]
The pregnant wife of Qismat Amin, who risked his life as a warzone interpreter for U.S. troops and became a U.S. citizen, is trapped with him in Afghanistan following President Trump’s orders to freeze refugee admissions and foreign aid.
"This is a president who is more interested in moving fast and breaking things than in the people whose lives are upended," said Colorado Sen. Matthew Ball, a former U.S. Army Ranger who relied on Amin.
Shaista Shirzad’s due date is March 22.
Amin took time off from his job in Dallas to escort Shirzad, 25, a requirement under Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. Although Shirzad isn’t a refugee and is cleared for a spousal visa pending final processing in Qatar, airline officials blocked them from boarding their Jan. 31 flight to Qatar due to forces "beyond our control."
"We feel abandoned with no answers. She’s physically exhausted and emotionally drained," Amin, 35, said in an email from Afghanistan. "The stress of waiting with no clarity has taken a toll on her and, as she nears the final stages of pregnancy, access to proper medical care is a growing concern."
U.S. State Department staffers in the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation (CARE) on Wednesday conveyed a message through U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s office that Amin and Shirzad were put on a list for travel to Qatar but that all flights "have been paused due to the Executive Order."
Amin has exhausted his paid time off and soon may hit his limit for unpaid personal leave, according to a letter from his employer, urging U.S. officials to act swiftly. On Friday, Amin decided he must fly home and save his job, leaving Shirzad to give birth in Afghanistan and then begin a more complicated process to unify their family.
"It feels hopeless because I feel like I’m so American, respecting the laws and appreciating everything America offered me. I look at myself, a person who worked for the U.S. Army and sacrificed so much. When you become a U.S. citizen, in the ceremony, they say now you can bring your wife. This is what the laws say," Amin said. "Then you see someone is stopping you ….. because someone just doesn’t like you. You feel like being from Afghanistan is worth nothing in America. I feel sad and I am just so worried."
Ball and Amin met when Ball was posted as an Army Ranger on a base near the Tora Bora mountain stronghold for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters after the 9/11 attacks. Working as a U.S. Army interpreter between 2010 and 2013, Amin helped Ball’s hard-hit unit deal with villagers and tribal elders. They pressed through negotiations that included "moments of significant tension, tribal leaders yelling at each other and us, Qismat in the middle, a fantastic cultural ambassador," Ball said.
Amin recalled Afghan villagers accusing U.S. soldiers of stealing jewels and objecting to a military checkpoint. He assured leaders any claims would be investigated, proposed a compromise to move the checkpoint farther from the village, and advised U.S. troops to present the checkpoint as village protection rather than control.
When Ball moved on for other deployments, Amin’s family received "night notes" - threats from Taliban affiliates that they’d be coming for Amin. Ball launched a letter-writing rescue campaign when he was a law student in 2013 and Amin received a special immigrant visa in 2017. Ball paid for a flight to California to expedite his arrival after Trump’s ban prohibiting people from Muslim-majority countries, which didn’t yet include Afghanistan. Ball and his wife housed Amin as he settled into jobs at Starbucks, Salesforce, and Tesla.
Amin moved to Dallas, where other Afghans who served as interpreters for U.S. soldiers had resettled and became a citizen in March 2023.
He and Shirzad married in Afghanistan last year.
U.S. Department of State officials declined to comment on the case.
When U.S. forces pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over in 2021, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken launched the CARE office, which has resettled 200,000 Afghans who stood with troops over two decades of war and their families. However, Trump’s orders froze foreign aid, encompassing government relocation flights, and halted refugee admissions.
That day, Amin had traveled to Colorado to recommend Ball for appointment to fill a vacancy in the state senate. Ball said he wanted Amin to attest to his character based on his military service on a seemingly impossible mission and saving Amin after death threats. "That’s the type of senator I want to be - somebody who has a strong moral compass and is here to do good."
Amin "is somebody who risked his life to help the United States in Afghanistan. Now as a U.S. citizen bringing his wife to the United States to start their family should be easy. The fact that we have to fight to get them here is infuriating," Ball said. "Put yourself in this family’s situation. You’re going to have your first kid in less than two months. Your wife is scared. She’s about to be a mom for the first time. You can feel the baby kicking."
Blocking their travel at this moment feels "awful," he said. "An executive order pressed the off switch on huge parts of our government. There are people who are being harmed and the people doing it don’t care. That is maddening."
Trump’s orders are causing "unintended consequences," trapping thousands of people, and "this is insane," said Shawn Vandiver, a U.S. Navy war veteran who founded AfghanEvac.
"Now they’re affecting a U.S. citizen trying desperately to get out with his family. This baby should be born in the United States," Vandiver said. "This will destroy our credibility. In a future war, potential partners are not going to help us. They may end up helping Russia or China or Iran. We’re going to have a hard time getting trustworthy people to work with us." Afghanistan’s Taliban makes debut diplomatic trip to Japan (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [2/17/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 19.6M]
A Taliban delegation has arrived in Japan on what is the first visit by the group that rules Afghanistan, according to media in the East Asian country.
The delegation, consisting of foreign affairs, education, economy and health officials, arrived on Sunday for a weeklong visit, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported. The visit is a rarity for the Taliban, whose diplomatic trips have previously remained close to Afghanistan since regaining power in 2021.
The Taliban representatives are expected to seek humanitarian support and potentially discuss diplomatic ties with Japanese officials.
Latif Nazari, a deputy minister at the Taliban’s economy ministry, described the visit as part of the group’s efforts to become an “active member of the international community”.“We seek dignified interaction with the world for a strong, united, advanced, prosperous, developed Afghanistan and to be an active member of the international community,” Nazari, who is part of the delegation, wrote in a post on X on Saturday.
Citing Afghan diplomatic sources, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said the Taliban representatives plan to “exchange views with Japanese government officials”.
Rare trip outside the region
While the Taliban government makes regular visits to neighbouring and regional countries, including Central Asia, Russia and China, it rarely travels outside the region. It has officially visited Europe only for diplomacy summits in Norway in 2022 and 2023.
Japan’s embassy in Kabul temporarily relocated to Qatar after the fall of the previous foreign-backed government and the takeover by the Taliban in 2021. But it has since reopened and resumed diplomatic and humanitarian activities in the country.
The Taliban’s visit to Japan comes just days after ISIL (ISIS) claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing outside the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul, the latest in a series of attacks by the group.Japan’s embassy condemned the attack, posting on X on Sunday that “these attacks of terror must cease immediately”. Taliban in crisis as leadership splits over women’s rights (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [2/16/2025 8:04 AM, Samaan Lateef, 24814K]
The Taliban is facing an internal revolt over women’s rights that has become public and could lead to a full-blown conflict in Afghanistan, The Telegraph can reveal.Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the country’s supreme leader, is battling a rebellion from senior cabinet ministers over his ban on girls’ education and restrictions on women’s economic participation.Akhundzada, who has led the Taliban since 2016 and is now Afghanistan’s de-facto leader, is at odds with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister, Mullah Yaqoob, the defence minister, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy foreign minister, who all want the Taliban to be more progressive.Stanikzai has fled to Dubai after his criticism of the supreme leader led to an arrest warrant being issued, while Haqqani is also thought to be out of the country.Now, Akhundzada has deployed soldiers to Kabul airport to stop other high-ranking officials from leaving.Akhundzada, who is rarely seen in public and has almost no digital footprint, is facing his biggest crisis since the Taliban swept into power after the chaotic withdrawal of the US from the country in August 2021.When they seized power Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, assured the world that women would be allowed to work and study “within the framework of Islam”. However, within weeks, these assurances began to unravel.By September, the Taliban announced that only boys and male teachers would return to secondary schools, effectively barring girls from secondary education. In March 2022, they briefly declared that all students, including girls, would be allowed back to school, only to revoke the decision within hours, citing the need for an “appropriate Islamic environment”.In May 2022, the Taliban imposed a strict dress code for women, mandating full-body coverings, further restricting their public presence.Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban’s deputy interior minister, was reportedly moved to tears while pleading for the reopening of girls’ schools, arguing that even if girls’ education wasn’t a religious obligation, it was at least permissible.His views were ignored.Now, more than three years since the so-called “temporary” ban on girls’ education, another academic year is set to begin in March without any females the classroom. Hopes that restrictions would be lifted have faded, leaving an entire generation of Afghan girls facing a future without formal education.Leaked audio messages from the deputy foreign minister has revealed evidence of the split.“The restrictions imposed on women are the personal wish of some Taliban elders and are un-Islamic,” Stanikzai said. “The obedience to a leader is conditional, and if a leader strays from the right path or issues harmful decrees, they should not be followed.”Going further, at a graduation ceremony last month in southeastern Khost province, near the Afghan-Pakistan border, Stanikzai said: “We are being unjust to 20 million people. There is no justification for this – not now or in the future. During the time of the Prophet Mohammed, the doors of knowledge were open for both men and women.“There were such remarkable women that if I were to elaborate on their contributions, it would take considerable time.”Shortly after Stanikzai’s speech, Akhundhzada ordered his arrest to silence dissent within the leadership. Stanikzai escaped to the UAE before the authorities could arrest him. He claims that he is only there while “recovering from a Covid-like infection”.The comments mirror those of Haqqani and Yaqoob, who are against the “monopolising” of power by Akhundzada’s hardline faction in Kandahar.Haqqani, a powerful figure within the Taliban, has also publicly questioned the ban on women’s rights and the regime’s reluctance to engage with the international community on women’s issues.The interior minister has been in Dubai and Riyadh since January 22 after the UN Security Council approved his travel-ban exemption. Although the Taliban’s spokesperson acknowledged the trip, little has been disclosed about its purpose or Haqqani’s delayed return.Haqqani, whose ‘Haqqani Network’ has been linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, remains on the US most-wanted list for orchestrating high-profile attacks against American and Nato forces for nearly two decades.A formal split within the Taliban could weaken its control, sparking infighting, defections, and a loss of centralised authority. He could leverage his influence over fighters to challenge Akhundzada’s dominance.Haqqani is supported by Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader who gave refuge to Osama bin Laden and the al-Qeada terror group. As defence minister he has sway over a large number of troopsAkhundzada may already be exacting his revenge.In December, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the refugee minister, was killed along with four others in a suicide attack in Kabul. He was a senior leader within the Haqqani Network and was aiding al-Qaeda’s military in Afghanistan. After coming to power, he was known for lobbying behind the scenes for girls and women to attend secondary schools and universities.“We shouldn’t just shrug this all off. The fact that these internal divisions have been playing out for so long, combined with other notable developments like the still unexplained killing of a top Haqqani leader, indicate that the supreme leadership is struggling to quell these disruptions,” said Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute director at The Wilson Centre think tank.“That’s significant for an organisation that demands and expects unquestioned loyalty and obedience from all.“The fact that a leader as senior as Stanikzai left the country is quite significant and shows just how serious the spat has become, at least when it comes to tensions playing out on personal levels.”The Telegraph can reveal that on Tuesday, a delegation of 14 officials was removed from a flydubai flight at Kabul airport and prevented from heading to Qatar, at least partly because there were two women in the group. The Haqqani-backed group were heading to the Afghanistan Future Thought Forum where discussions were thought to be centred around women’s right to work and access to education.Mujahid admitted that differences exist within the leadership but insisted there was no open conflict. Speaking in an X Spaces discussion, the Taliban spokesman said: “Differences in viewpoints are normal. Every member of the Islamic emirate looks at an issue from a different perspective, and sometimes these matters even leak to the media. However, there are no disputes.“Lately, we have seen false information and baseless propaganda aimed at misleading public perception. We do not harm each other over disagreements.”Mr Kugelman said that for now Akhundzada remains in power.“The supreme leadership in Kandahar remains in full control, with no indications of any type of mutiny,” Mr Kugelman said. “We are seeing dissent from some prominent leaders, but it’s not something that’s morphed into some form of wider internal rebellion.While some senior Taliban figures, including Haqqani and Stanikzai, have openly criticised Akhundzada, others have expressed their discontent privately.Taliban officials told The Telegraph that many enforced rules primarily focus on “controlling women” and “often don’t even make sense”.They accuse Akhundzada of creating an atmosphere of fear by linking every directive to religion, branding critics as “enemies of Islam”.Last year, Haqqani told a religious gathering in his native Khost region: “This situation can no longer be tolerated.”The Taliban’s policies have plunged Afghanistan into an economic and humanitarian crisis. More than 25 million people – over half the population – now live in poverty with limited access to food. Nearly one million jobs have been lost as businesses struggled, and women remain locked out of education and the formal economy.The UN has suspended several “time-critical” aid programmes in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s ban on women in humanitarian work, education, and the formal economy. The international community has repeatedly stated that recognition of the Taliban regime depends on respecting women’s rights, forming an inclusive government, and ensuring Afghanistan is not used as a base for terrorism.“The Taliban have always tried to present themselves as a united front under one supreme leader. But now, we’re seeing cars in Kabul with pictures of Sirajuddin Haqqani and banners reading ‘Haqqani Network’. This is a clear message – they no longer want to obey Kandahar,” said a doctor in Kabul, who requested anonymity.“We are deeply worried. A split within the Taliban isn’t just a possibility any more; it’s becoming inevitable. The clouds of crisis are gathering, and it’s no longer a question of if, but when. There are rumours that unknown armed men have taken over parts of Baghlan [province], and reports of Taliban fighters abandoning Panjshir [province] are only adding to the fear,” he added.“Anyone who can replace this current hardline regime and bring back freedom of expression and education for all – including women – would be a welcome relief. We desperately need that change. Afghanistan’s favorite sport is thriving, even under Taliban rule (Washington Post)
Washington Post [2/16/2025 1:00 AM, Rick Noack and Carolyn Van Houten, 6.9M]
When the Taliban seized power in 2021, many feared the new government would ban buzkashi, Afghanistan’s beloved national sport, which the group had deemed sinful during its first time in power in the 1990s.
But the fast-paced equestrian game is still thriving here, regularly drawing an audience of thousands — including Taliban members. The spectators are all men. Afghan women, subject to increasingly draconian restrictions, are not allowed.
In Baghlan, a province north of Kabul that saw heavy fighting during the 20-year Taliban insurgency, hundreds of men gathered on an empty desert plain on a recent weekend. They cheered loudly as players pulled a leather mock goat carcass across the field, trying to drop it into the scoring area. Onlookers crowded the field of play and were sent rushing to the hills as riders galloped in their direction.“It’s just as thrilling as other competitive sports, like cricket and soccer,” said Narbay Pahlawan, a professional buzkashi player. “Teams often travel from far away.”
Some see the Taliban’s embrace of buzkashi as emblematic of a new generation of leaders. Anas Haqqani, the influential younger brother of the Taliban’s interior minister, said he and his fellow fighters used to follow European soccer matches on the radio in between battles with U.S. and coalition forces.Even to government hard-liners, buzkashi serves a useful purpose: It is particularly popular in Afghanistan’s rural north, traditionally a stronghold of anti-Taliban resistance.
Mohammad Wali Baghlani, a 60-year-old businessman in Baghlan, owns several buzkashi horses. It’s an expensive hobby. Some horses are bred in neighboring parts of Central Asia, and each costs him thousands of dollars a year to maintain. But the price is worth it to “keep our tradition alive,” he said.
Many owners pay professional players — known as pahlawans — to participate in the games, which can quickly turn dangerous.“We practice and follow a strict diet throughout the summer to stay fit,” Narbay said.
Buzkashi is believed to have been invented by nomadic Central Asian tribes, historians say, perhaps more than 1,000 years ago. Until recently, the game was primarily played with real goat or calf carcasses, which could weigh as much as 100 pounds. The leather substitutes are much lighter, but fans say it hasn’t made the game any less thrilling.
In Baghlan, once a stop along the Silk Road, the love of horses is ancient and enduring. A rock relief on the outskirts of Pol-e-Khomri, the regional capital, shows a galloping horse.
More recently, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that began in 1979, fighters rode their steeds into battle: “Our horses didn’t run away,” Baghlani said. “They tried to shield us.”
These days, the country faces different challenges. Even before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, about half of Afghans lived in poverty. The regime’s return has deepened the country’s economic woes, sapping aid and investment. For many, buzkashi is a welcome distraction.
Increasingly, though, the game faces a new enemy: climate change. Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to climate shocks, including drought, which has turned large parts of the country into arid wastelands.
This region used to have plenty of grass for horses to graze on. Now, said Baghlani, “the soil is drying out.” The U.S. Can No Longer Ignore the Threat Arising in Afghanistan (New York Times – opinion)
New York Times [2/17/2025 4:14 PM, Javid Ahmad, 831K]
President Trump has promised a bold new American approach to the world. Nowhere is that more urgently needed than in Afghanistan. Not only have its Taliban rulers crushed dissent and stripped away the rights of the country’s women and girls; they have also taken Americans hostage and are allowing Afghanistan to serve as a nerve center of violent jihadist networks such as Al Qaeda. We all know what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, the last time this state of affairs existed.
The Trump administration faces a stark choice: Let Afghanistan spiral further into jihadism or engage pragmatically with the Taliban. Engagement is, of course, a tough case to make, given the regime’s brutal nature and America’s painful history in Afghanistan. But dealing directly with the Taliban may be the only way to gain enough leverage to minimize serious potential threats to U.S. national security and interests.
The Biden administration’s approach — neither toppling the regime nor normalizing relations — has allowed the Taliban to entrench its rule without hope of the United States exerting any positive influence over it. Afghanistan requires realpolitik — putting results over ideals. The hard-nosed deal-making aspects of Mr. Trump’s “America first” outlook may offer the right framework.
The Trump administration should establish at least a limited diplomatic presence in Afghanistan or even reopen America’s embassy in Kabul to facilitate regular contact with Taliban leaders toward the ultimate goal of deploying specialized intelligence teams in the country to track and respond to potential threats.
The administration’s policy toward the Taliban remains unclear, but there is reason to believe that Mr. Trump would embrace a new approach. He has criticized past U.S. policy in Afghanistan for overreach and unrealistic goals. And he has taken bold action toward Afghanistan before. In 2020, his first administration negotiated the U.S.-Taliban agreement — later executed by President Joe Biden — that ended America’s longest war.
More recently, Mr. Trump has made clear his interest in recovering the military equipment, valued at $7 billion, left behind by the United States. He has also said the huge Bagram Air Base should have been kept under U.S. control as a check on China’s power in the region. These objectives are impossible without direct contact with the Taliban.
Mr. Trump is right to worry about China’s influence in Afghanistan. After the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, China kept its diplomatic mission open in Kabul and has expanded ties with the Taliban. It welcomed a Taliban ambassador to Beijing, forged relationships with Taliban security forces and Chinese companies have secured commercial contracts in industries like oil and minerals extraction. Beijing sees Afghanistan as important for its plan to increase Chinese influence in the region through economic ties. But the Taliban still see the United States as a preferred partner, and a proactive U.S. policy could help keep China’s influence in check.
Purely from the terrorism standpoint, Afghanistan demands U.S. attention. The country is home to militant groups that, with the Taliban in control, now have freer rein. The Taliban have opened thousands of madrassas, religious schools where young men may be exposed to notions of jihad and potential breeding grounds for future generations of extremists. The taking of foreign hostages has resulted in prisoner swaps with the United States that have freed Taliban terrorists and drug traffickers.
A particularly potent threat exists in the Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, the group’s regional affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISIS-K, which is at odds with the Taliban, has been expanding external operations and recruitment, especially in Pakistan and Central Asia, and has carried out targeted assassinations in Afghanistan. The Department of Homeland Security warned in October of the growing risk of attacks outside Afghanistan from groups like ISIS-K, and various plots and threats already have come to light. Jihadist groups are just a text message away from radicalizing recruits in the West, including in diaspora communities. This means that any counterterrorism efforts directed at Afghanistan must also include more robust intelligence-gathering in the United States itself, as well as outreach to trusted diaspora leaders to help identify and disrupt threats.
The Taliban also retain longstanding ties to Al Qaeda, offering the group sanctuary in exchange for its promise not to plot attacks from Afghan soil. This arrangement is dependent on the Taliban remaining isolated, which helps shield Al Qaeda from foreign pressure. The Taliban thus hold significant potential leverage over the jihadist network, which could be employed to serve U.S. interests.
Michael Waltz, Mr. Trump’s new national security adviser, has said the administration needs to re-examine American intelligence and counterterrorism measures regarding Afghanistan to make sure the United States is not again caught off guard as it was in 2001. Ultimately, effective counterterrorism hinges on establishing communication with Taliban clerics. The United States lacks this, leaving Washington blind to the group’s internal power structure and potential factional rifts that might otherwise present opportunities to achieve its objectives.
The Taliban may appear monolithic, but they are not. Reflecting the group’s ethnic diversity, its hard-line emir, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, leads an uneasy coalition of factions and tribes with different priorities and levels of extremism. As with any governing organization, there are the usual internal tensions over personnel issues and policy, including the emir’s rigid stance on denying women and girls access to education, his tight control over government resources, how forcefully to suppress dissent and the expansion of madrassas at the expense of regular schooling. More pragmatic factions favor rapprochement with the United States to give the regime more global legitimacy and improve Afghanistan’s dire economic situation. The Taliban’s deputy foreign minister last month praised Mr. Trump as “decisive” and “courageous,” called for the reopening of the U.S. embassy and said that if the United States extended the hand of friendship, the Taliban would reciprocate.
The Taliban will be difficult to deal with. But Afghanistan is an important piece in the broader jihadist puzzle. To continue standing by and waiting for the Taliban to collapse is unrealistic and risky. Direct engagement, on the other hand, may open pathways for tracking and disrupting terrorist plots. In the longer term, it may even give the United States enough influence to help improve Afghanistan’s overall direction, including on human rights.
Engaging with the Taliban would be a bitter pill for America to swallow, but as Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently pointed out, U.S. foreign policy is often about choosing the “least bad” option. Refugee Ban Betrays a Promise to Afghan Allies (Bloomberg – opinion)
Bloomberg [2/14/2025 6:00 AM, Editorial Board, 21617K]
Republican and Democratic administrations alike benefited from the sacrifices of Afghans who put their lives on the line to support US troops, and spread American values, in the 20-year war against the Taliban. Both have now betrayed the trust those allies placed in them.The previous White House botched the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, ushering the Taliban back into power. It tried to atone in part by smoothing pathways for military interpreters and others who qualified for Special Immigrant Visas, as well as refugees including judges, journalists and women’s rights activists, to emigrate to America. By the end of President Joe Biden’s term, close to 5,000 Afghans a month were successfully resettling in the US.The current administration has thrown the system into turmoil. Its broad-ranging suspension of foreign aid has cut off funds that SIV holders were relying on to travel to the US and upended the resettlement services meant to help them once they arrive, including rent support for their initial months. Meanwhile, a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions has blocked other Afghans who had received approval to migrate — and who rightly fear for their safety.Together the measures have affected roughly 45,000 SIV applicants ready to fly out of Afghanistan and at least 15,000 qualified refugees, according to the coalition #AfghanEvac. Many of the latter are currently in Pakistan, which has launched a wave of deportations aiming to push migrants back across the border. Thousands of other Afghans whose cases are still in the application process now face uncertain futures.This second abandonment compounds the damage to US credibility and standing caused by the first. Allies asked to support America in future conflicts will surely wonder whether any promises made to them will last past the next election. China and other rivals have gained yet another example to add to their long narrative of US capriciousness and hypocrisy.More scrutiny of foreign aid, which the president campaigned on, is fair game. But a blanket refugee ban is cruel and unjustified, as is the pause in aid to organizations supporting food security, education and other critical services around the world. Congress should press the White House to rethink both. In the meantime, legislators from both sides of the aisle should demand that the administration issue waivers for Afghans who have been properly vetted and approved to come to the US, as well as for the services they require to reach the country and settle down. Other groups no doubt have strong arguments for relief; that’s no reason to punish Afghans who face legitimate threats of persecution or even death because of their US ties.National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He surely knows that the world is too dangerous for the US to make its way without friends. If the administration wants to build “peace through strength,” as it says, it should leave no doubt it will stand by those who risk their lives to stand by America. Pakistan
China and Pakistan criticise Donald Trump’s pitch to sell stealth fighters to India (The Independent)
The Independent [2/17/2025 3:06 AM, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, 57769K]
China and Pakistan have criticised Donald Trump’s proposal of selling F-35 stealth fighters to neighbour India during the American president’s meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in Washington DC last week.
Mr Trump’s push to India to increase its military spending by billions of dollars through the purchase of the elite fifth-generation fighter aircraft has created a stir in the Asian subcontinent with Pakistan and China warning against disruption in the region.
India, the biggest military importer, is reportedly seeking bids this year for 114 multi-role fighters in a major step to bolster the country’s fleet of combat aircraft in an apparent effort to counter China’s growing air capabilities.
"Starting this year, we’ll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars," Mr Trump told a joint news conference with Mr Modi. "We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters," he said.
India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri later clarified that the F-35 deal, which the US only sells to Nato states and allies, was a proposal with no formal process underway.
However, the proposal was enough to irk Pakistan, which has multiple F-16 fighter jets in its arsenal. Pakistan’s foreign minister said the nation was "deeply concerned over the planned transfer of such advanced military technology to India".
The ministry claimed the transfer would "accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability".
"We urge our international partners to take a holistic and objective view of issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and deviate from ground reality.".
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the Asia-Pacific region was not a "chessboard for geopolitical maneuvering". "Forming exclusive circles and engaging in group politics will not bring security and will only harm regional and global peace and stability.".
Lockheed Martin, the makers of the F-35, said "we are encouraged by the recent announcement by president Trump to provide the F-35 to India". The US foreign military sales are considered government-to-government deals where the Pentagon acts as an intermediary between the buying government and the defence contractor.
"We look forward to working closely with both governments on upcoming strategic procurements," a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said.
While the F-35 fighter jets would be a major win for New Delhi, it would also be mutually beneficial for Washington, which sees India as a foil to China’s rising power in the East.
India and China share a 3,488km border that runs from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Relations between the hostile neighbours hit a new low in July 2020 after at least 20 Indian army personnel and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in one of the most major conflicts in 45 years.
China in December last year appeared to have tested novel sixth-generation stealth military tailless aircraft after they were seen flying over Chengdu city.
"The Chinese are inducting modern fighters and Pakistanis are also getting some Chinese support whereas the Indian Air Force, in terms of combat squadrons, is deficient. There is no doubt about it," said Laxman Behera, a defence expert at government-funded Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
"We’ll have to wait and watch," he told Reuters.
The Indian Air Force does not have US fighter jets in its active fleet, but about 50 aircraft are powered by General Electric engines, with 170 more on order. Mr Modi and Mr Trump In a joint statement at the White House announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the US-India Major Defence Partnership.
Rahul Bedi, an independent defence analyst based in India, said the deal with the US for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India’s immediate need for more than 100 aircraft. "They are not going to come tomorrow. It’s going to take several years to start arriving," he told the Associated Press. How Pakistan could undercut US efforts to curb China’s EV boom (Christian Science Monitor)
Christian Science Monitor [2/14/2025 2:38 PM, Hasan Ali, 580K]
Amid the ornately painted trucks bellowing smoke and the green and yellow tuk-tuks, the Chinese-made Haval Hybrid Electric Vehicle has become a ubiquitous sight on the streets of Islamabad.
But you won’t find it on Route 66 or the Autobahn.
China careened toward EV domination in 2024, producing a record-breaking 12 million hybrid and electric vehicles. But it also faced new barriers in getting these cars into foreign markets, especially in Europe and North America, where leaders have placed prohibitive tariffs on China’s low-cost EVs to protect the local auto industry. U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to escalate the trade war with China, and in 2025, Chinese automakers predict export growth to slow.
Some are looking to neighboring Pakistan, a country of 240 million which has so far welcomed Chinese automakers, to buoy sales – and possibly bypass tariffs. In recent months, several Chinese automakers have either doubled down on their Pakistan projects or made their first foray into the market.
As EVs become an increasingly important geopolitical battleground, former Pakistan finance minister Miftah Ismail says that, at least in the short-term, Pakistan could serve as a sort of pressure release valve for Beijing. But he predicts the West will eventually catch up.
"The West will say that EV components have to be made in certain countries, or that 70% of the value addition has to be done in the country that exports," he says. "It’s a cat and mouse game. The West will find other ways of placing restrictions on the Chinese.
An alliance on the rocks
In October, Chinese battery giant Build Your Dreams (BYD) formally entered the Pakistani market with two electric vehicles, partnering with the country’s largest private electricity producer to facilitate the expansion. The move came after the U.S. and Canada both decided to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicle imports, and the European Commission voted to raise its own tariffs by 35%.
Its expansion represents a boost to the business relationship between China and Pakistan at a time when both seem to be running out of friends – and when their own alliance has grown fraught.
Though China has long considered Pakistan a key part of its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a series of recent attacks on Chinese nationals working in Pakistan has injected the relationship with tension. After an explosion at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport in October claimed the lives of two Chinese citizens, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called the attacks "unacceptable.".
Still, there is a sense that neither side can afford to downgrade their relationship.
Pakistan has fraught relations with all three of its other neighbors, while China has been accused of an increasingly hostile approach towards foreign businesses, driving down foreign direct investment.
"It’s an important and close partnership, albeit one that has stumbled in recent months," says Michael Kugelman, who directs the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute. "In that regard, this EV plan could be not just an economic win, but also a confidence building measure.".
Economic win for who?
For China, Pakistan could be the key to tapping into the U.S. market, says Usman Qadir, senior research economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
"If they are able to assemble their vehicles in Pakistan or a third country, then they can bypass tariffs and get into the market with their lower prices," he says.
Pakistanis could benefit, too.
BYD and its local partner announced plans to build an assembly plant in Karachi by early 2026. They estimate that as many as half of the vehicles sold in Pakistan by 2030 will be electrified – by which time BYD hopes that its vehicles will make up a quarter of all sales.
This could be a boon for consumers, who’ve struggled with rising costs of gas. However, Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis, combined with the country’s electricity woes, also makes these goals a "mighty heavy lift," says Mr. Kugelman.
"Most consumers won’t be able to afford EVs," he says. "Not to mention, the infrastructure of EVs – from battery storage capacity to filling stations – is wholly lacking in Pakistan, and it’s not easy to get foreign investors to come in and fill those gaps.".
So far, the Chinese EVs launched in Pakistan have largely targeted the luxury market.
But whatever their long-term motive, it is clear that Chinese EV makers are having an impact; Japanese automakers, which have historically dominated the Pakistani market, have begun slashing their prices out of concern that they might lose ground. 2 people killed when militants ambush trucks with aid for northwestern Pakistan (AP)
AP [2/17/2025 10:41 AM, Javed Hussain, 33392K]
Militants in northwestern Pakistan killed a driver and a security official Monday when they ambushed a convoy of trucks carrying food, medicine and other supplies for thousands of residents trapped by sectarian violence, authorities said.
It was the third such assault since January in Kurram, a district in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where at least 130 people have died in recent months in clashes between rival Shiite and Sunni tribes.
The latest attack happened when the trucks were heading to Parachinar, the main city in Kurram, police officials said.
Qaiser Abbas, a doctor at a hospital in Parachinar, said a truck driver and one of the security officials escorting the convoy was killed in the attack. He said they also received 15 wounded people after the attack.
Local authorities said police had launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack. Authorities say some of the aid trucks were looted and burned by the attackers.
Militants in recent months have also stepped up attacks on security forces in the northwestern North and South Waziristan regions bordering Afghanistan, where troops often carry out raids on militant hideouts.
In the latest such raids on Saturday, four soldiers and 15 militants were killed in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan districts.
The military said the killed militants were from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and are allies of the Afghan Taliban. TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban came into power in Afghanistan in 2022. Pakistan clashes result in 4 dead soldiers, 15 militants (VOA)
VOA [2/15/2025 9:47 AM, Ayaz Gul, 2717K]
Pakistan said Saturday that counterterrorism operations in two volatile northwestern districts resulted in the deaths of four soldiers, including an officer, and 15 insurgents during the ensuing clashes.
A military statement said the deadly violence erupted when its forces carried out "intelligence-based" raids on militant locations in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan.
The statement identified the slain militants as "khwarij," a term employed by the government for individuals affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a globally recognized terrorist organization.Local security sources reported that the soldier fatalities occurred during clashes in the Waziristan area.
The official claims about militant casualties could not be verified by independent sources. The TTP did not comment on the reported clashes in the districts, where the militant group routinely attacks security forces and their installations.
Pakistan maintains that TTP leaders and fighters use sanctuaries in Afghanistan to orchestrate cross-border terrorism with the help of the neighboring country’s Taliban government, which has not yet received official recognition from any country.
The allegations have strained Islamabad’s relationship with de facto Afghan leaders in Kabul, who consistently have denied the presence of the TTP or any other foreign terrorist organizations within their territory.
"One of the key issues bedeviling our relations remains the sanctuaries enjoyed by terrorists belonging to the TTP on Afghan territory," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told a weekly news conference on Friday.
"We continue to remain engaged with Afghanistan and also make them realize that the long-term potential of the region, the bilateral cooperation and what it can bring for the benefit or welfare of the two countries will remain unmet unless this problem is resolved.".
UN backing
The latest report by the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, released earlier this week, highlights Islamabad’s concerns, stating that the TTP has "significantly increased" its attacks in Pakistan and from Afghan territory.
The report stated that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan "continued to provide the TTP with logistical and operational space and financial support." It added that the group "established new training centers" in the Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost and Paktika "while enhancing recruitment within TTP cadres, including from the Afghan Taliban.".
The U.N. assessment also emphasized the growing terrorism threat from al-Qaida and the regional Islamic State affiliate operating in Afghanistan since the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021.
"The Taliban maintained a permissive environment allowing al-Qaida to consolidate, with the presence of safe houses and training camps scattered across Afghanistan," the report said.
It stated that Afghanistan "remained the main hub" for the regional Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), primarily "for its recruitment and facilitation.".
The spokesperson for the Taliban government dismissed U.N. findings on Friday as "inaccurate" and contrary to reality.
"The Islamic Emirate [Taliban government] does not allow any foreign, rogue group to operate in Afghanistan, and such groups are not present here," Zabihullah Mujahid told the local TOLO news channel.
"Unfortunately, some countries and intelligence circles, through organizations like the United Nations and the Security Council, are tarnishing public opinion and waging propaganda and campaigns against Afghanistan," Mujahid stated, without elaborating. India
Modi Leaves Trump Summit With a To-Do List Despite Concessions (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/14/2025 6:01 AM, Dan Strumpf, Ruchi Bhatia, and Sudhi Ranjan Sen, 21617K]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was counting on a series of concessions ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump to keep his country in the US’s good graces after weeks of tariff threats.It wasn’t enough.Now Modi heads back to New Delhi with the prospect of looming duties on Indian exports and demands that his country buy more US goods — from American energy to the most expensive US weapons systems — showing that the two leaders’ bonhomie from Trump’s first term will only go so far.The outcome of the first meeting between the two leaders since 2020 underscored Trump’s determination to upend trade ties with every nation — even US partners. Not only did Trump announce that the US would begin imposing “reciprocal” tariffs just hours before meeting with Modi, he criticized the country’s policies at a news conference with the Indian leader standing right by him.“India has been to us just about the highest-tariffed nation in the world,” Trump said at the White House, with Modi looking on. “Whatever India charges, we’re charging them.”Indian officials familiar with the discussions say the meeting between the two leaders wasn’t all bad. While India will wait to see the fine print of the reciprocal duties, an agreement to move forward with a bilateral trade pact gives India room to negotiate, the officials said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.Modi was among the earliest batch of foreign leaders to visit Trump, a group that includes the prime ministers of Japan and Israel. The trip followed years of deepening ties between the US and India, which Washington has been been cultivating as a regional bulwark against a more assertive China.American companies from Apple Inc. to Starbucks Corp. have also ramped up their investments in India, seeking to tap its growing consumer base and curb a reliance on Chinese supply chains. Even in Trump’s first term, when he and Modi enjoyed warm personal ties, India’s tariff policy was a regular source of dispute. With Trump’s second term underway, Modi has taken a more accommodative approach, cutting import tariffs on a raft of goods like Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycles.New Delhi went further on Thursday, cutting taxes on bourbonto 100% from 150%, satisfying another key demand from the US.One senior US official told Bloomberg News on condition of anonymity that the moves were modest but well-received. Still, it was clear Modi left the White House with a to-do list, and Trump made it clear that he is intent on bringing down the US’s $41 billion trade deficit with India.“We believe that India still remains in Trump’s line of fire on reciprocal tariffs, even as the two countries have reiterated their strategic partnership,” said Sonal Varma, chief economist for India at Nomura Singapore Ltd.India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Finance Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for further information.Fighter JetsAmong India’s most noteworthy pledges were its commitments to ramp up purchases of US energy and weaponry. Currently, Russia is the main supplier of both to India, and the US has long been eager to edge out Moscow. In response, Trump said the US would offer to sell the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jet to India as part of the two nations’ tightening defense ties. Any such sale, however, remains complicated by the warplane’s exorbitant pricetag, as well as concerns over technology theft given India’s extensive Russian defense links.
“The timeframe for the F-35 sale remains unclear, but it’s clearly something Trump will push hard given the revenue that the US can draw from selling such an expensive system,” said Michael Kugelman, director at the South Asia Institute of the Wilson Center.Modi also left the meeting without any apparent pledge to preserve his nation’s key channel of legal immigration to the US, through the H-1B visa program for high-skilled workers. That’s despite Modi’s openness to taking back undocumented Indian migrants from the US — a stance that has prompted some political backlash back home.One issue Modi said didn’t come up in the talks was the state of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s indictments by the US for allegedly paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in India. Adani, seen as a key ally of Modi, has rejected the accusations.‘Personal Matters’
“When it comes to such personal matters, two leaders of two countries will not get together on the topic and discuss anything on an individual matter,” Modi said at the news conference.For all their disagreements, Modi and Trump wrapped up their meeting with several points in common. The two sides pledged to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 — up from $126.6 billion in 2023 — and committed to deepen their cooperation on defense and technology sharing. Yet the disparity between the tariffs that India charges on US imports and America’s own levies leaves India at a disadvantage when it comes to any future talks over a US-India trade deal, said Shumita Deveshwar, chief India economist at GlobalData.TS Lombard.“There are more concessions to be made because, for us, the US is a far bigger market than India is for the US,” she said. “We do come from a position of disadvantage into these talks.” How Trump Is Reshaping India’s Trade and Defense Ties With the US (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/17/2025 8:37 AM, Dan Strumpf, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, and Diksha Madhok, 21617K]
The US and India have been edging closer together for years. Washington sees India as a key regional counterweight against a more assertive China, while for New Delhi, the US has become an increasingly important source of foreign investment and a partner for trade and security.The relationship between the two countries is likely to deepen with President Donald Trump back in the Oval Office. Following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House in early February, both sides vowed to dramatically ramp up their cooperation in trade, national defense and technology sharing.Still, India hasn’t been spared from Trump’s renewed second-term focus on tariffs and immigration. Trump is demanding more of Modi than previous US administrations, pushing for India to dramatically lower its taxes on US imports, buy US weapons and take back more undocumented migrants.Is India a US ally?The US and India have been strategic partners for at least two decades, meaning they cooperate on strategic and military issues but aren’t formal, treaty-bound allies. While they have much in common — both are large, diverse democracies — New Delhi has pursued its own interests in ways that have, on occasion, clashed with those of the US. India didn’t condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, for example, or extend unqualified support for Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.The Biden administration at times chastised India over alleged human rights violations and its treatment of minorities, but didn’t press too hard for fear of alienating officials in New Delhi. A pillar of the US-India relationship remains a shared concern over the spread of China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific, and Washington has been eager to enlist India as a counterweight to Beijing’s rise. India is a part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as “the Quad,” an informal grouping with the US, Japan and Australia that has an unstated priority of keeping China in check.How will Trump impact India-US trade ties?Trump is dialing up the pressure on Modi to address the trade imbalance between their two countries. Having long complained that India’s tariffs were too high and hurt US businesses, Trump’s vow to impose “reciprocal” tariffs — effectively charge like-for-like duties on America’s trading partners — stands to hit India hard for two reasons.First, India’s import duties are among the highest of any major economy and vastly higher than the tariffs the US levies. According to a report by the State Bank of India, New Delhi’s tariff rate on US imports stood at 15.3% in 2022, compared with US tariffs on Indian imports of about 3.8%.Second, the US is India’s biggest export market. The US imported $87.4 billion in goods from India in 2024, more than double the value of its exports to India, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. That saw the US trade deficit with India widen by 5% to $45.7 billion and Trump is determined to bring this down.There are plenty of caveats. Trump’s reciprocal tariffs won’t come into effect until as early as April, giving Modi time to negotiate a trade deal to mitigate their impact. Trump has also made it clear that he wants more, not less, trade with India. The two leaders pledged to boost the total size of the US-India trade relationship to $500 billion by 2030, up from around $127 billion in 2023.Energy imports could be one lever India pulls to narrow the bilateral trade deficit with the US. Trump wants India to buy more US oil and natural gas, and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said the country’s energy purchases from the US could rise by up to $25 billion, from around $15 billion. India’s state-owned energy companies have signaled that they are looking to procure more US oil and liquefied natural gas.How will Trump shape India-US defense ties?The US and India have been long-running partners in defense, and it’s clear that Trump wants the relationship to continue. He’s urging India to buy the US’s costliest weapons systems, including the F-35 stealth fighter jet. India’s purchase of the cutting-edge warplane faces numerous obstacles — from its high price tag to concerns that New Delhi’s deep defense ties with Russia will enable Moscow to learn more about the jet’s technology. But the fact that the F-35 has been made available to only the closest of US allies to date is a sign of India’s growing importance as a US military partner.Washington has been seeking to chip away at India’s longstanding reliance on Russian weapons systems. For years, the US has been intensifying its defense ties with the Modi government, which is pursuing a 10-year, $250 billion military modernization. Last year, the US approved the sale of nearly $4 billion in attack drones, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and laser-guided bombs to India.What is India’s relationship with Russia?Despite its avowed non-alignment during the Cold War, India maintained cordial relations with Moscow and was wary of the US, which was closer to India’s arch-rival Pakistan. Ties between India and Russia are still strong to this day, although they could be tested by Trump’s efforts to get India to buy more US weapons and energy.The backbone of the Moscow-New Delhi relationship is India’s status as a reliable buyer of Russian weapons and crude oil. Russia remains India’s largest supplier of arms, despite shipments having declined as India looked to diversify its weapons sources. Russia accounted for just over a third of India’s arms imports in 2023, down from about two-thirds more than a decade ago, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.Russia is also India’s top supplier of oil. India used to buy less than 2% of its oil from Moscow prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, but that share surged to almost 45% in the middle of 2024, according to analytics firm Kpler. That said, the more aggressive US sanctions imposed on Russia’s seaborne oil industry during the last days of the Biden administration have made it more difficult for India to buy Russian oil. India has thus been forced to seek out new sources of crude — including the US.What is India’s relationship with China?Relations have been strained for years, and the US has been happy to back New Delhi in its disputes with Beijing. The source of the friction has been a territorial dispute along the India-China border that dates back decades, and over which the two countries fought a war in 1962. The tensions came to a head once again in 2020, erupting in a series of deadly skirmishes and prompting New Delhi to ban Chinese smartphone apps and curb Chinese investment in India. The nuclear-armed neighbors started making nice in October 2024 after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Modi at the BRICS summit in Russia. A few weeks later, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing and the two sides resumed formal discussion of their countries’ border dispute for the first time in five years. Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership (AP)
AP [2/14/2025 6:44 AM, Aijaz Hussain, 14282K]
There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship.
"Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world," said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India’s director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. "As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it’s surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.".
The meeting signaled that "defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said.
In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership.
Modi and Trump "pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies," the statement said.The leaders also "committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said.
While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi’s dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S.
Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time.
"What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It’s a long-term project," he said.
It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India’s immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India.
"They are not going to come tomorrow," Bedi said. "It’s going to take several years to start arriving," he added.
As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment.
With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization.
"India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America," said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military’s Northern Command.
China’s rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.
The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China’s rise.
Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing’s efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
"The major threat is from China which is outstripping India’s capability," Hooda said.In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India’s defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones.
The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said.
"It’s a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we’ll get modern weapons," Hooda said. "It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.". India opposition slams Trump’s F-35 offer, Russia makes its own pitch (Reuters)
Reuters [2/17/2025 7:48 AM, Shivam Patel, 48128K]
India’s opposition parties have criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to sell F-35 fighters to the country, citing their high costs, even as Russia has discussed producing its most advanced jets locally in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goals.
The offer from both U.S. and India’s long-time defence partner Russia comes at a time when the Indian Air Force’s squadrons have fallen to 31 from an approved strength of 42 and it is seeking to acquire more jets to counter China, which is rapidly building its military.
After meeting Modi in Washington last week, Trump said the U.S. will increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and will eventually provide the fifth-generation F-35 fighters made by Lockheed Martin (LMT.N).
India’s main opposition Congress party has used Trump ally and billionaire Elon Musk’s past criticism of the fighter to target Modi’s government.
"The F-35, which Elon Musk has described as ‘junk’, why is Narendra Modi hell-bent on buying it?" asked a post on Congress’s official X account this weekend, saying that the aircraft was expensive and had high operational costs.
The U.S. government estimates that an F-35 costs around $80 million.
The Indian government has not said it intends to buy the plane and India’s foreign secretary told reporters last week that the U.S. offer was at a "proposal stage", adding that the acquisition process had not started.
India’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Congress post cited a November 2024 post by Musk on X in which he shared a video of a drone swarm and captioned it: "Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35".
Musk later said in another X post: "Manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway".
Last week, Russia offered to make in India its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter, with locally sourced components, saying production could begin as early as this year if India agreed.
"Russia has never shied away from transferring technology," said Amit Cowshish, former financial adviser for acquisitions at the Indian defence ministry.
"The problem is not with Russia offering transfer of technology ... we will continue to deal with Russia and buy oil and maybe buy a couple of other things, but such a big (defence) deal is likely to create its own difficulties vis-à-vis (the) U.S.," Cowshish said. India eyes to boost trade with US; January trade deficit as expected (Reuters)
Reuters [2/17/2025 8:00 AM, Shivangi Acharya and Manoj Kumar, 129344K]
India said on Monday that bilateral merchandise trade with the United States has increased by about 8% to more than $106 billion in the ten months through January and a proposed trade pact between the two countries will further benefit both.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the U.S., both countries agreed to work on the first segment of the deal by the fall of 2025, aiming for bilateral trade worth $500 billion by 2030.
"In reference to the U.S. ... not only our exports are increasing, but also our imports are increasing, which means that the overall trade is increasing with the U.S.," Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters, while releasing monthly trade figures.
India’s merchandise exports to the U.S. rose to $68.47 billion in the April-January period from $62.84 billion in the year-ago period, while imports rose to $37.62 billion from $35.46 billion, data released by the Commerce Ministry showed.
The South Asian country’s merchandise trade deficit stood at $22.99 billion in January, in line with economists’ expectations of $22.35 billion, according to a Reuters poll.
Merchandise exports dropped to $36.43 billion in January from $38.01 billion in December, while imports edged lower to $59.42 billion from $59.95 billion the month prior.
Services exports in January were estimated at $38.55 billion and imports at $18.22 billion against $32.66 billion and $17.50 billion, respectively, in December.
The data comes days after Modi met U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House and agreed to resolve issues over tariffs, with India promising to buy more U.S. oil, gas and military equipment.
The U.S. has a $45.6 billion trade deficit with India, making it among the key targets for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes U.S. imports.
Both countries have agreed to a "tough" timeline to negotiate the first tranche of a trade deal and will find ways to increase bilateral trade, said Rajesh Agrawal, a senior Indian trade official.
In January, India’s gold imports fell to $2.68 billion from the previous month’s $4.7 billion, while crude oil imports fell to $13.4 billion from $15.2 billion in December, data showed.
Going by current trends, India’s merchandise and services exports would cross $800 billion in the current fiscal year ending in March, Barthwal added. Trump’s tariffs present fresh headache for India’s slowing economy (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [2/17/2025 7:33 PM, Saumya Roy, 129344K]
Hours before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would levy reciprocal tariffs on its trading partners.
It could hardly have come at a tougher time for India, which is already pressed by a slowing economy and sluggish demand.
At a joint news conference, Trump said India would buy F-35 fighter jets and oil and gas from the US. The two countries would also begin negotiations on the US trade deficit with India.
India runs a large trade surplus with the US and such negotiations and military and oil purchases could adversely impact its economy at a time when it is going through a slowdown.
With the Indian economy expected to grow at 6.4 percent in the year ending March, its slowest in four years, the Modi government announced income tax relief for the middle class in the annual budget earlier this month.
Days later, the country’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in nearly five years by 0.25 percent to 6.25 percent with Governor Sanjay Malhotra saying a less restrictive monetary policy was more appropriate in light of the current "growth-inflation dynamics".
Economists warn the tax relief may not be enough for the vast majority of Indians, whose income still falls below taxable limits and who may still be reeling from the impact of the COVID pandemic, which devastated their earnings.
"There is a vast base [of people] where recovery has not come back after the pandemic," says Kaushik Basu, professor of economics at Cornell University. "We see this in data that the agricultural labour base has increased. And agriculture may well be just a parking spot.".
Basu was referring to people who left urban jobs during India’s tight and prolonged COVID lockdown and returned to their villages. Without enough well-paying jobs to return to in cities, they have stayed in their villages doing seasonal agricultural labour.
Dhiraj Nim, an economist at ANZ Bank expects the tax relief to have a 0.2 percent impact on the gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
"People will consume a little more, but they will also save more. Some personal loan repayment will happen," he said. "I don’t think the boost in consumption will offset the one trillion rupees [$11.5bn] given in relief by too much.".
Moreover, any economic boost will be a short-term measure while the problems it seeks to address "are more fundamental", warns Alexandra Hermann, lead economist at Oxford Economics. "There is nothing [in the budget] that addresses employment or skilling," that will lead to broader and more sustained growth, she says. Just about 2 percent of Indians currently pay income tax and unemployment and underemployment have stayed high, she says.
Some of India’s slowdown could be attributed to a cyclical tapering in demand after the post-pandemic recovery when the economy grew sharply. Industry heads and government officials believed India was on a high growth trajectory. The country is already the world’s fifth-largest economy and is projected to become the third-largest by 2030.
But now the "issues beneath the growth" have been revealed, Cornell’s Basu says. "While there has been inequality for at least two decades, what we are seeing now has not been seen since 1947," the year that India won its independence from the British.
Delicate economic juggle
The government has sought to spur growth through strong spending on infrastructure such as roads and bridges. But stimulus provided during the pandemic meant the government needs to tighten its belt to meet its fiscal deficit target of 4.5 percent by next year. This reduced spending could also take away from some of the boost provided by the income tax relief, Nim of ANZ says.
Modi’s US visit comes amids this delicate economic moment in India. President Trump spoke of India’s high tariffs on American cars and other products meant to protect Indian industry and create domestic jobs.
India, like Mexico and Canada, will also enter negotiations to bridge its trade surplus, but this could involve concessions that could hurt Indian industry as well as purchases it can hardly afford. (New Delhi peremptorily reduced tariffs on Harley Davidson motorbikes in the budget.).
"It is notable that the Indian government has gone out of its way to avoid tariffs," says Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, a Washington, DC-based think tank. "A big reason for this is the fragile economic growth.".
The Indian government also accepted its first 100 deportees from the US without official protest, although they were sent in a military aircraft and in handcuffs. At their news conference, Modi said these were victims of human trafficking, which had to stop. He did not bring up with Trump their treatment by the US as some other countries have for their own deportees.
High tariffs on steel imports that the US has already announced are bound to affect Indian exports. However, the Indian economy is largely fuelled by domestic consumption compared to other Asian economies, says Oxford Economics’ Hermann.
That is the deeper problem that is now starting to emerge.
Kartik Muralidharan, Tata Chancellor’s professor of economics at the University of California at San Diego, says the government’s expanded food transfer programme has supported India’s bottom half and may have led to their participation in the economy.
However, he and others underscore the need for greater economic reform to encourage higher and more equitable growth.
"Generally, reforms come at a time of external challenges," Muralidharan says, referring to how India’s economic reforms in 1991 came in the wake of the Gulf War and a balance of payment crisis. "We need another ‘91," he says.
Cornell’s Basu suggests the rising inequality would best be addressed through "a little higher tax for the super-rich and use it to support small businesses.".
Basu also says small businesses have been affected by compliance costs for the Goods and Services Tax and could be simplified and lowered.
The government has said it expects a growth rate of about 6.7 percent for the year ahead, indicating strong growth in the current global landscape. But ANZ’s Nim says the "bigger concern should be growing per capita income and better distribution of that income so it reaches people who need it.". Former Staffers Say India’s Biggest IT Firm Was Gaming the US Visa System (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/17/2025 5:00 PM, Newley Purnell and Eric Fan, 21617K]
The first time Donald Trump took over the White House, Anil Kini alleges that executives at India’s biggest outsourcing firm ordered him to take part in what he describes as a coverup.Kini, who was an IT manager working in Denver for Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, or TCS, says his superiors ordered him to falsify internal organizational charts — to make them appear more top-heavy with managers than they really were.The goal, Kini later alleged in a federal lawsuit and in interviews with Bloomberg News, was to prepare for any heightened scrutiny of the way TCS was using employment visas. It was 2017, and Trump had campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, but his focus wasn’t confined to undocumented immigrants. He’d also assailed a widely used skilled-worker visa program, called H-1B, saying it provided “cheap labor” that hurt US workers. He said US-based companies should instead prioritize hiring Americans.Kini and two other former TCS employees who filed similar lawsuits say the company repeatedly made improper use of special manager-level visas to hire front-line workers who had no management responsibilities. All three cases, which were filed under the federal False Claims Act, were dismissed before the allegations of visa fraud were examined in court; Kini’s is on appeal. The manager visas, known as L-1As, are easier for employers to obtain and have fewer guardrails; for example, they lack even the minimal pay requirements that Congress has imposed for H-1B holders.Kini told Bloomberg that as Trump took office eight years ago executives at TCS, an arm of the Indian conglomerate the Tata Group, were trying to make their organizational charts match their visa applications, before any federal inspectors showed up on their doorstep.While officials in Trump’s first administration continued to criticize employment visas, the anticipated crackdown failed to materialize. Now, with Elon Musk and other tech executives defending the H-1B program, Trump has changed his rhetoric. “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas,” he told the New York Post in December. That flip-flop has triggered pushback from his MAGA base, pitting his nativist supporters against his newer backers from the tech industry.Although studies have shown immigration has been a net positive for the US economy and for government budgets, Kini’s story along with allegations in the other lawsuits, internal company documents, emails and federal data obtained by Bloomberg, suggest TCS has used L-1A manager visas in ways that echo Trump’s earlier concerns about undercutting American workers. The data, which is previously unreported, shows that the number of L-1A approvals the company has received far exceeds the number of managers it disclosed employing in mandatory federal reports to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It also shows that TCS, which works with some of the largest US tech companies, has obtained far more manager visas than any other employer in recent years.In response to detailed questions about the allegations and Bloomberg’s data analysis, a company spokesperson sent a statement denying any wrongdoing: “TCS does not comment on ongoing litigation, however we strongly refute these inaccurate allegations by certain ex-employees, which have previously been dismissed by multiple courts and tribunals. TCS rigorously adheres to all U.S. laws.” The company declined to provide further details.It’s unclear how many manager visas TCS may have obtained for workers who, as Kini and others allege, weren’t really managers. Kini and others say they knew personally of dozens of cases. Legal experts say it’s common for employers to game the L-1A program, and over the past decade, federal officials uncovered nearly 200 cases involving L-1A recipients who weren’t actually managers, according to federal data obtained by Bloomberg.False Claims Act lawsuits allow whistleblowers to sue companies on behalf of the US government. The complaints typically claim a company’s executives have cheated taxpayers. The cases often hinge on whether the US Department of Justice signs onto them, bringing the resources of the federal government to legal fights involving deep-pocketed corporations. The DOJ declined to sign on to any of the TCS employees’ lawsuits over L-1A visas, including Kini’s.In legal filings, TCS said it conducted an independent investigation of Kini’s complaints and found “most of the issues raised” were not substantiated. The filings say the company had “already taken corrective action” on those it had confirmed, though TCS did not indicate what its inquiry had found.A federal judge dismissed Kini’s lawsuit in February on the grounds that Kini had failed to show how TCS’ visa practices would have skirted financial obligations to the US government. The case is on appeal. Kini says he resisted superiors’ orders to alter the organizational charts and submitted two formal internal complaints about the request before filing his lawsuit in November 2017. The next year, he was fired, which he describes as retribution for blowing the whistle. The company did not respond to questions about Kini’s dismissal.“I was proud to be working for TCS,” he said in an interview. “But then some things in life, there should be integrity in what you do.”In a separate case, Indian national Vinod Govindharajan says that TCS obtained his L-1A visa in 2013 by falsely stating on his visa application that he was a manager in a business development role when in fact he had no subordinates. He says that securing his L-1A visa allowed the company to circumvent tighter H-1B rules and bring him to Edison, New Jersey, where he alleges he was paid half of what his US counterparts in the same job made. Angry at TCS and struggling to pay his bills, he filed a complaint in 2018 with the EEOC, which enforces federal laws prohibiting workplace discrimination.The EEOC investigated the matter and found “credible documentary evidence” that TCS “frequently falsifies documents in support of L-1 visa applications,” according to a “final determination” letter the agency sent to Govindharajan, his attorney and TCS in 2019. The letter also said the agency determined visa workers from India are paid at much lower rates than their American colleagues, and that TCS had retaliated against Govindharajan for raising his concerns.But the EEOC itself has no authority to enforce immigration laws or wage requirements tied to employment visas, which respectively fall under the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Labor. And there is no indication that the EEOC shared its findings with those agencies. An EEOC spokesperson said confidentiality rules prohibited them from commenting on Govindharajan’s case.“It was a dream of mine to move to the US,” Govindharajan, 49, said in an interview. “But I was doing a sales role, nothing to do with management.” Heavy Use of Manager Visas
The H-1B program was designed to allow US employers to tap foreign nationals for jobs requiring highly skilled and difficult-to-find candidates. The visas, which impose rules related to educational requirements and pay, have proven popular for decades with employers; demand for them far outstrips the annual limit of about 85,000. In July, a Bloomberg News investigation revealed how outsourcing firms have overwhelmed the annual lottery that decides which applicants can get new H-1Bs.
L-1As, meanwhile, aren’t capped and carry no pay requirements. TCS has used the management visas on a scale unmatched by any other US employer, according to exclusive data from the Department of Homeland Security. Bloomberg News obtained the data after filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The company declined to answer detailed questions about Bloomberg’s data analysis.
The data show that the USCIS approved more than 90,000 L-1A visas from October 2019 through September 2023. IT outsourcing firms — which contract with US employers to handle information-technology tasks — were the program’s heaviest users, but TCS far outpaced its rivals. The firm received upwards of 6,500 approvals, more than the next seven largest L-1A recipients combined. (The US State Department can also issue L-1As under a blanket approval process, but the agency does not release information on how many it authorizes; experts say the department has issued comparatively few since 2008.)
Meanwhile, mandatory reports that TCS filed with another federal agency over roughly the same time frame shows its US operations employed a fraction of the managers for whom it sought visas.
In a 2022 report to the EEOC, the company categorized fewer than 600 of its 31,000 US-based employees as executives and managers. That same fiscal year, it won approvals for 1,969 new or renewed L-1A manager visas. In its 2021 EEOC report, TCS reported employing 564 executives and managers in the US. During that fiscal year, it obtained 1,447 L-1A visa approvals. (The EEOC does not publicly release the reports. Bloomberg obtained them from the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, which is required by state law to post on its website the reports of companies operating in the state. Those reports cover the nationwide employment for each company.)
Compared to its competitors, TCS reported far fewer managers relative to its total US-based workforce. The company declined to respond to detailed questions about the numbers it submitted to the EEOC. It’s possible that some high-level employees who do not supervise others could qualify as “functional managers” under L-1A rules. But experts say such cases are rare.
Immigration attorneys say fabricating job titles to obtain L-1As for non-managers would be a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act and that gaps in federal enforcement authority have allowed employers to abuse the system. Shilpa Malik, a managing attorney at VisaNation Law Group PLLC, said she has encountered instances when companies manufactured evidence in applications for L-1A visas. “The L-1A is often found to be a substitute for the H-1B. Are they all legitimate managers? No, they’re not.”
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has had only limited authority to investigate allegations of visa abuse, including any gaming of L-1A visas. Some employers have argued that the agency lacked the legal authority to conduct site visits, and in the past, companies have refused to allow USCIS officials to visit their offices or interview employees alone.
Nevertheless, during the past decade, USCIS has uncovered about 1,800 instances of fraud related to L visas, including nearly 200 cases in which the agency found L-1A recipients were not actually managers, according to USCIS enforcement data obtained by Bloomberg. The agency redacted the names of employers that were the subject of enforcement actions, and it did not respond to questions for this story.
Site visits “do help circumvent fraud,” said Erin Green, an employment visa expert and former head of US immigration at Infosys Ltd., one of TCS’s competitors. But in many instances USCIS officers simply ask for information by phone or email, “instead of visiting the actual client site,” he said.
Like many Indian outsourcers, most of TCS’s staff members are in India, where it provides back-office IT services for its customers. But the company also needs client-facing workers in the US, and it employs thousands of Americans. Outsourcers often operate on what’s known as the 80-20 model: About 80% of their staffers work from India or another low-cost location near their clients, while 20% are in clients’ home countries, such as the US, said Peter Bendor-Samuel, founder of Everest Group, a Dallas-based company that advises global firms on outsourcing.
“TCS has the highest margins in the industry, and they do that by attacking costs aggressively," he said.
While he said he has no specific knowledge of the issues Kini has described, Bendor-Samuel said one way companies achieve savings is by employing more workers on L-1A or H-1B visas in the US, since visa holders are more willing to work for lower salaries. Such workers “are a low-risk option as employers already know their capabilities and don’t have to pay a premium for unknown new people,” he said. “This leads to lower costs.”
“Never Managed These Individuals”
TCS is India’s biggest IT services firm by revenue, posting $29 billion in sales for the fiscal year ended in March. It has more than 600,000 employees globally and is one of India’s best-known companies, part of the sprawling Tata Group.
The conglomerate owns flag carrier Air India Ltd. and luxury vehicle maker Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. In the U.S., Tata Group, its related philanthropies and TCS have donated millions of dollars to Harvard and Cornell Universities, among others. TCS is a longtime sponsor of the New York City Marathon.
Like many Indian IT outsourcers, TCS’s clients have included airlines, financial institutions, automakers and more. Applications TCS submitted to the Department of Labor that are required for H-1B petitions in recent years show it listed among its top clients the likes of Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. (Apple declined to comment; Cisco did not respond to a request for comment.) That means TCS told authorities it needed workers to come to the US to help staff-up those companies’ workforces. The federal government keeps no records disclosing which clients L-1A visa holders are assigned to.
Govindharajan had been with the company for three years before it offered him a chance to work in the US. He then spent five years working in New Jersey for TCS before his complaint to the EEOC set off a lengthy legal battle that ended only after he moved with his family back to India.
The EEOC, in a letter accompanying its July 2019 final determination, suggested TCS enter into an informal resolution process known as conciliation. It proposed TCS pay Govindharajan the $750,000 demanded by his attorney and take steps to ensure labor laws were followed.
TCS declined to participate in conciliation, and the EEOC issued Govindharajan a notice of his right to sue the company, according to a letter it sent to him and TCS’s corporate counsel the following month. In the letter, the EEOC said it found “reasonable cause to believe” TCS had committed violations of the law.
Govindharajan then sued the company for discrimination. His case was dismissed in July 2020, with a judge ruling that he was bound by an agreement he’d signed in India when accepting the job. It said any disputes with the company must be settled via arbitration in India. A separate claim of visa fraud failed because the law he invoked is a criminal statute with no private cause of action, meaning only the government can pursue a lawsuit, the judge said.
By that time, Govindharajan, his wife and young son had been forced to return to their home in the Southern Indian city of Coimbatore, after TCS declined to renew his visa, he says.
Govindharajan then filed a False Claims Act suit in the US, concentrating on TCS’s visa practices. He provided documents that he said showed superiors obtained an L-1A visa on his behalf by submitting two inaccurate organizational charts. One said he had managed five people in India, and the other said he would have five direct reports in the US.
But he “never managed these individuals, never had a conversation with these individuals, and never met any of these individuals,” the complaint said.
Govindharajan named 11 other TCS staff members whom he said received L-1A visas using false organizational charts, part of what he called TCS’s strategy to save some $2.4 million annually in visa fees. He said in the complaint that TCS’s business model depends on paying Indian workers less than Americans. The US government declined to pursue the case, and it was dismissed in 2023 “without prejudice,” which means Govindharajan could refile it.
In a separate False Claims Act lawsuit, filed in 2016 in Pennsylvania, another Indian TCS worker on an L-1A visa alleged that the company frequently submitted applications containing “made-up organizational charts to demonstrate a make-believe hierarchy.” The worker, Bedatanu Banerjee, said in filings that internal guidelines suggest ways staff should inappropriately bolster their resumes to correspond with visa requirements. TCS used L-1A visas “to ‘creatively’ get around” H-1B restrictions, Banerjee alleged in his complaint. The DOJ declined to join in the case and a judge dismissed it without prejudice. Banerjee couldn’t be reached for comment.
Whistleblower Alleges Coverup
Anil Kini spent nearly a decade building a career in IT management before joining TCS in India in 2006. The 49-year-old was born in India’s southern Karnataka state and grew up in the financial center of Mumbai. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Mumbai before studying programming and working in a series of progressively senior IT positions.
After six years at TCS, he was offered an opportunity to migrate to the US on an L-1A visa to run TCS’s project providing IT services to Western Union Co., a financial services company based in Denver.
Kini supervised 37 employees. All but two of his team were from India, and they had replaced Western Union’s previous staff, according to Kini. A representative for Western Union declined to comment.
Kini says higher-ups repeatedly asked him to sign off on visa applications certifying that front-line IT staffers were managers — using the L-1A program to circumvent H-1B caps, he alleges. He says he did not comply with those requests.
On Jan. 19, 2017, the day before Trump’s inauguration, Kini was called into an urgent meeting with a TCS senior manager, who gave him a spreadsheet of employees, according to Kini and internal company documents and emails submitted as part of his lawsuit. His job would be to quickly change the internal organization chart to hide the obvious discrepancies for three of his direct reports, who had no management responsibilities, the records show. In all, Kini said that of the 22 L-1A visa employees on the Western Union account, only eight performed managerial roles.
After the January 2017 meeting, Kini said he began complaining. “If there is any site visit, USCIS will easily know the real reporting structure,” he wrote in one 2017 email to his supervisor, which was submitted as part of his lawsuit.
Kini said he was emboldened to speak out at the time because the US government had just approved his green card, which meant his employer no-longer controlled his ability to live and work in the US. Otherwise, with only a visa, “TCS could send me back to India with an hour’s notice,” he said.
Soon after, he says, the company began to retaliate against him, cutting him out of meetings and removing his responsibilities before firing him in August 2018.
Nearly a year before he was fired, Kini sued TCS, alleging the company had violated federal visa rules and retaliated against him as a whistleblower. A federal judge dismissed the case last February, ruling that Kini failed to meet legal standards under the False Claims Act.
After being ousted from TCS, Kini says he found himself ostracized from the tight-knit Indian IT community he had belonged to for more than 20 years. Former colleagues blocked his phone number and family friends avoided eye contact when he saw them at Indian grocery stores.
“Definitely it was a loss,” Kini said, “when you’re not part of those events and get togethers and birthday parties. We used to go out for movies, we used to go out trekking, and suddenly they’re not available.”
These days, Kini has found a new career — running a tutoring franchise in Lone Tree, Colorado, just south of Denver. His calls to seek jobs at other IT outsourcing firms went unanswered, he said, despite his decades of experience. Kini said that while the upheaval has been difficult for him and his family, he believes he did the right thing in blowing the whistle. “I have no regrets.”
Govindharajan, meanwhile, said that after returning to India he struggled to find work with another IT firm and fears his legal battle with TCS has damaged his prospects.
“It all makes me so angry,” he said. “I’m still really angry at TCS.”
15 Reported Dead in Stampede at New Delhi Rail Station (New York Times)
New York Times [2/15/2025 4:14 PM, Eve Sampson, 831K]
Fifteen people died in a stampede on Saturday at New Delhi’s main railway station as a crush of pilgrims were trying to make their way to a huge Hindu festival in northern India, an official said.
The caretaker chief minister of the Delhi region, Atishi, who uses one name, told reporters outside a hospital in the capital that 15 people had been injured in the stampede, in addition to the 15 killed, according to Indian media reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the dead in a statement on social media, adding that the authorities were “assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede.” Ashwini Vaishnaw, the country’s minister for railroads, said that an investigation had been ordered.
Before the stampede, crowds at the railway station had swelled because trains bound for the festival, the Kumbh Mela, had been delayed, according to local media reports.“Due to the sudden surge in passengers, some individuals fainted, which led to rumors of a stampede-like situation, causing panic among travelers,” the Ministry of Railways said in a statement. It said it later ran extra trains to alleviate the crush. The ministry also announced compensation for the injured and families of those who died.
The Kumbh Mela, which began in mid-January and will end late this month, is the world’s largest religious gathering. It is expected to draw more than 400 million people over six weeks, according to government estimates.
The festival takes place every three years in one of four cities in India. This year’s event is being held in Prayagraj, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers meet. Hindus believe that a third, mythical river called the Saraswati joins the other two there in a sacred confluence. Devotees take baths in the holy waters in the belief that they wash away sins.
The event this year, which is being called a Maha Kumbh, or Great Kumbh, is larger than usual because it coincides with a celestial alignment that takes place once every 144 years.
Managing the huge crowds who attend the festival is a major challenge for the Indian government.
Last month, 30 pilgrims died in a stampede as they rushed to take their baths. In 2013, the last time that Prayagraj hosted the event, 42 people were killed in a stampede at the train station there. Ten years before that, in the western city of Nasik, 39 devotees were crushed in an alley.
In 1954, during the first Kumbh Mela since India’s independence seven years earlier, hundreds of pilgrims died in a stampede. Death toll rises to at least 18 in New Delhi railway station stampede (Reuters)
Reuters [2/16/2025 10:20 AM, Mayank Bhardwaj, 48128K]
The death toll in a stampede at the main railway station in India’s capital New Delhi rose to at least 18, including five children, media reports said on Sunday, citing the Press Trust of India news agency.The youngest of the victims was seven years old and the oldest 79, according to multiple media outlets, citing a list provided by police. All but four of the 18 people named were female.Atishi, the chief minister of the national capital territory and who goes by only one name, said on X that many of the victims were pilgrims who were going to attend the Hindu Maha Kumbh festival. She earlier told reporters that 15 people had died.More than a dozen of the injured are being treated in hospital, media reports said.The stampede occurred at about 8 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Saturday on two platforms where passengers were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj city, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, media reports said.Media showed images and videos of crowds of people falling over each other after the incident, as police and relief teams worked to try and ease the congestion."There was a sea of humanity at the railway station, and the crowd surged towards the train going to Prayagraj," a distraught woman told the India Today news channel. "I lost my belongings and barely survived."Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said an enquiry had been ordered into the incident.Dozens of people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh in northern India last month as tens of millions of Hindus gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of the six-week festival.India has witnessed several major stampedes, most of which occurred at religious festivals or gatherings.Delhi’s lieutenant-governor VK Saxena, one of the capital territory’s top officials, visited some of the injured in hospital, according to local media."This is a very tragic incident and we pray for those who have lost their lives," Atishi said.There have been several rail accidents in India in the last two years, including a collision in 2023 that killed at least 288 people. India’s railway network is the fourth biggest in the world and is undergoing a $30 billion upgrade as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to boost connectivity. India reassures Nepali students after suicide sparked protest (Reuters)
Reuters [2/17/2025 10:57 PM, Jatindra Dash and Gopal Sharma, 48128K]
India has assured students from Nepal of its efforts to ensure their well-being, following protests triggered by the suicide of a Nepali woman studying in the eastern state of Odisha.
Police have taken into custody a male student as they investigate Sunday’s death at a women’s hostel, said officials of the university in the state’s capital of Bhubaneswar attended by more than 400 Nepali students.
"Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of enduring people-to-people links," the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, the capital of the neighbouring majority-Hindu nation, said on Monday.
"The government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of Nepali students in India," it added in its statement.
The assurance followed Monday’s protests by students who had blocked a road for hours, which the university said had caused "inconvenience and escalating tensions".
Students shouted slogans and pushed through the gates of buildings in images on domestic media.
"Students have been requested to resume classes as soon as possible," Shradhanjali Nayak, a spokesperson for the university, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, told Reuters. "The situation is quite under control.".
The university, which has 40,000 enrollments a year, also withdrew an internal document urging all international students from Nepal to leave immediately.
The Nepali embassy in New Delhi, the Indian capital, said it had contacted university authorities and asked them to ensure the security and safety of Nepali students.
In a post on X, Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said two officers had been sent to counsel the students, with arrangements made to offer them the options of staying in their hostel or returning home. Have You Seen This Pilgrim? Lost in the Throngs of the Kumbh Mela. (New York Times)
New York Times [2/15/2025 4:14 PM, Anupreeta Das and Hari Kumar, 831K]
Before she waded into the water to take a holy dip among the teeming throngs at the world’s largest religious gathering, Draupadi Devi reached into her blouse and handed her husband a small pouch to safeguard.
Inside was a slip of paper with his phone number scrawled on it, so she would have it if they got separated in the tangle of limbs and luggage that is the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival held every three years in one of four cities in India.
This year’s version of the event is being called a Maha Kumbh, or Great Kumbh, because it coincides with a celestial alignment that takes place only every 144 years. So the multitude of pilgrims, devotees, seers and ascetics is even bigger than usual — and even easier to get lost in.
After her bath, as they made their way through the crowds, Ms. Devi lost sight of her husband, Umesh Singh. Gone, with him, was her pouch.
Confused and scared, Ms. Devi, 65, wound up at the festival’s lost-and-found center, part of the immense temporary infrastructure that attends to the faithful’s earthly needs as they perform rituals intended to purify the soul.
Over six weeks, from mid-January to late February, more than 400 million people are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh, according to government estimates. It is being held in Prayagraj, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers meet. Hindus believe that a third, mythical river called the Saraswati joins the other two there in a sacred confluence.The makeshift metropolis constructed for the event sits on 10,000 acres of land temporarily claimed from the Ganges, whose waters recede at this time of year. The “ephemeral megacity,” as Harvard researchers have called it, includes hospitals, pontoon bridges, nearly 70,000 street lamps, thousands of flush toilets, 250 miles of steel-plank roads resting on the silty river bed, and tents running from the modest to the luxurious.
While bathers may walk away free from sin, they can still make a wrong turn. That may explain how Ms. Devi found herself seeking help from lost-and-found volunteers.
They had little information to work with. Her husband was taller than her and two years older, Ms. Devi said. He had tanned skin and was dressed in a sweater in the same mint green shade as her head scarf.
She did not know his phone number — which was why she had written it on the scrap of paper, the one she had not retrieved after her bath.“They said he will come,” Ms. Devi said the volunteers had told her. “What else will they say?”
The state and central governments are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure the safety of Kumbh Mela pilgrims, an undertaking whose immense challenges became clear last month when 30 pilgrims died in a stampede as they rushed to bathe in the river.
Crucial to the safety effort are the lost-and-found center and its 10 field offices. They are a place of hope and despair, as devotees show up by the thousands every day to report missing persons and, sometimes, lost objects.
Attendees can use the public address system to make their own announcements in their own languages. One evening near the bathing sites, it was a nonstop frenzy — people seeking lost siblings, parents, cousins, children and spouses. One person was looking for his dropped army ID card.
Mani Jha, the project manager for the center, said the largest number of reported cases came from around the sites where people do their bathing rituals.“When the devotees go for their holy dip, naturally there is so much rush,” Mr. Jha said. “When they come out, there is a rush of fresh devotees, so they have to move out.” In an instant, people can become separated. Others fall down and get left behind amid the mess of orphaned slippers and discarded shirts.
Many of the pilgrims are from rural areas and not used to large crowds. Some are poor and do not have their own phones. They sometimes “start to panic and weep” as they try to figure out “where to go, whom to ask, what to do,” Mr. Jha said. Police officers and volunteers from nonprofits console them and bring them to the nearest lost-and-found office.
Once someone reports a person missing, workers feed as many details as they can into a computerized system that uses facial-recognition technology. The information is shared with the police and other offices and also announced over the public address system. Those who are found are put up in a hall lined with beds made of cardboard boxes. This year, they were donated by Amazon and feature its logo prominently.
In 2019, when a smaller event known as a “half” Kumbh was held in Prayagraj, the lost-and-found center handled 39,000 cases, Mr. Jha said. Most were solved, he added.“Reunions are very emotional moments,” Mr. Jha said. “You yourself get emotional when a situation like that happens.”
One recent morning, Tara Chand Bhat and his wife, Shanti Devi Bhat, were looking for her mother. They had become separated while watching the religious parades.
An entire day passed. The Bhats slept on the ground as they awaited news. The next afternoon, lost-and-found workers informed the couple that Ms. Bhat’s mother was in a holding area. She had been there all morning, waiting for her family to take her home.
A few days later, Sudesh Sharma, 58, paced around a bathing platform for four hours before being directed to the lost-and-found center with her husband. They had lost track of her two sisters after their holy dip. Ms. Sharma’s sisters had nothing but their bathing garments — no money, no phone — and they did not know her phone number.
Ms. Sharma was impatient to be reunited with them. “I do not know what is happening,” she said, adding, “The government is spending so much money, can’t they help people?”
When Sant Ram, 56, arrived at the lost-and-found center, he was clad only in his underwear. He, too, had lost track of his family after his sacred bath. The rest of his story was also familiar: His wife had his bag, and it contained his phone and his money.
He did, however, know his son’s telephone number. A police officer lent him a phone, and his family was soon on its way to meet him. The officer also gave him an undershirt to put on.
Ms. Devi, the pilgrim who had left her pouch with her husband, Mr. Singh, was reunited with him after about five hours.
She had given the lost-and-found volunteers the name of her village and its former headman. They tracked him down. He happened to have the phone number of her husband’s nephew, whom he called. The nephew then called Mr. Singh and directed him to the center.
Mr. Singh said his reunion with his wife had been delayed. While he had given her formal name to be announced on the public address system, she had provided only her nickname to the lost-and-found volunteers, and they could not match the two.“I scolded her that you put me in difficulty,” Mr. Singh said. “But whatever happened, has happened.” More than 500 million take ‘holy dip’ in India’s Maha Kumbh festival (Reuters)
Reuters [2/14/2025 9:47 AM, Saurabh Sharma, 48128K]
More than 500 million people have taken a "holy dip" in sacred river waters in north India over the last four weeks as part of the Hindu Maha Kumbh festival, authorities said on Friday, greater than the population of most countries.Attendees at the six-week long event have ranged from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and federal ministers to industrialists such as Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and artists including Chris Martin from British rock band Coldplay.It was marred, however, by a stampede on its most auspicious day that killed dozens as they gathered at the confluence of three holy rivers to take a dip - a practice believed to absolve sins and confer salvation from the cycle of birth and death."This participation marks the largest congregation in human history for any religious, cultural, or social event," the government of Uttar Pradesh state, where the festival is being held, said in a statement.With 12 days still remaining, the total count of visitors to the festival is expected to "soar beyond" 550 to 600 million, it said.The Kumbh Mela is held every three years but carries the prefix Maha, or great, every 12 years because its timing is considered more auspicious, attracting a larger number of worshippers.The festival attracted around 240 million people in its previous edition in 2019 - half the number who have attended in 2025 so far.It was organised in Prayagraj city at a 4,000-hectare (9,900 acre) temporary township created for the purpose - the size of 7,500 football fields.The highest number of devotees - 80 million - flocked to the festival on January 29, when the stampede occurred. While officials said 30 people were killed in the incident, sources said the death toll was more than 50.A panel has been formed to conduct an investigation into the stampede and is expected to submit its report this month. Delhi hit by rare earthquake as Modi warns north India to ‘stay alert for aftershocks’ (The Independent)
The Independent [2/16/2025 11:25 PM, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, 57769K]
Delhi was jolted awake by a rare earthquake during the early hours of Monday, prompting a message from prime minister Narendra Modi to stay calm and alert for possible aftershocks.
The pre-dawn earthquake was measured at magnitude 4.2 by the US Geological Survey and 4.0 by India’s National Centre for Seismology, with strong shaking shortly after 5.30am local time prompting residents in New Delhi and the wider region of the Indian capital to rush out of their homes.
The epicentre was located at a depth of 5km near the Dhaula Kuan area, about 7.5km southwest of the Indian parliament. Tremors were felt across north India, the National Centre for Seismology said.There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties. The Delhi Police have issued an emergency number to call for help, saying: "We hope you all are safe, Delhi.".
Just hours later, another 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck Siwan city in Bihar. The temblor was reported at 8.02am (local time) at a depth of 10km, according to Indian authorities.
Mr Modi, in a post on X, warned people to stay alert for possible aftershocks. "Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks," Mr Modi said. "Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation".
It isn’t the first time the Dhaula Kuan area in the Indian capital has been the epicentre for seismic activity, with a 3.3 magnitude earthquake recorded there in 2015.
Dr OP Mishra, director of the National Centre for Seismology, told reporters that this was the most powerful earthquake to hit Dhaula Kuan since 2007, when it was the epicentre of a 4.7-magnitude quake.
Naresh Kumar, a resident of West Delhi, told the PTI news agency: "I felt an earthquake of such high magnitude for the first time. Everyone was outside their homes and afraid.".
A passenger at the New Delhi railway station, where at least 18 people were killed in a stampede over the weekend, said the earthquake felt as if "trains were running underground". "Everything was shaking," he told ANI news agency.
Earthquakes are occasionally felt in Delhi when they strike the nearby geological faultline where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayas. Quakes centred on the Indian capital itself are relatively rare.
Monday morning’s earthquake comes amid heightened seismic activity in the Himalayan region and a month after a powerful 7.1-magnitude temblor struck the foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities, killing at least 126 people. The intense earthquake flattened hundreds of houses and forced people to rush out of their houses in Nepal, Bhutan and India. NSB
Adani to restore full power to Bangladesh in days but differences remain, say sources (Reuters)
Reuters [2/14/2025 8:53 AM, Krishna N. Das, 48128K]
Adani Power has agreed to fully restore supply from a 1,600 MW India power plant to Bangladesh in a few days after a gap of three months but has rejected Dhaka’s request for discounts and tax benefits, two sources told Reuters.Billionaire Gautam Adani’s company halved supply to Bangladesh on October 31 due to payment delays as the country battled a foreign exchange shortage. This led to the shutdown of one of the two equal-sized units of the plant on November 1, followed by Bangladesh’s request to keep supplying only half the power, citing low winter demand and as the payment issue bubbled.Ahead of summer demand and on Bangladesh Power Development Board’s (BPDB) request, Adani Power has agreed to resume full supplies by next week, said the two sources who had direct knowledge of the matter but declined to be named as they were not authorised to talk to the media. The plant in eastern India sells only to Bangladesh.Adani Power, however, has not agreed to meet several other demands from BPDB, including giving discounts and concessions potentially worth millions of dollars to Bangladesh, said the sources. The two sides had a virtual meeting on Tuesday and more are likely to carry on the discussions."They don’t want to give up on anything, even $1 million," said one of the sources, referring to Adani Power. "We have not got any concessions. We want a mutual understanding, they are invoking the power purchase agreement."BPDB Chairperson Md. Rezaul Karim did not respond to questions about the differences. He told Reuters earlier this week that "now there is no big issue with Adani" and that full power supply was going to begin, while he tried to step up payments beyond $85 million a month.An Adani Power spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company said in a statement following a Reuters story on Tuesday that "dispatch of power by a power generator is dependent on the procurers’ requirements, which keep changing".In December, an Adani source said BPDB owed the company about $900 million, while Karim said at the time the amount was only about $650 million. The pricing dispute revolves around how power tariffs are calculated.BPDB earlier wrote to Adani Power seeking tax benefits worth millions of dollars and resumption of a discount programme that ran for a year until May. Sri Lanka Budget Banks On Car Taxes To Boost Coffers (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/17/2025 4:32 AM, Staff, 9355K]
Sri Lanka is banking on vehicle import taxes to boost revenue and revive the island nation’s battered economy, leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s maiden budget showed on Monday.Vehicle imports were banned in 2020 to save foreign exchange but the move deprived authorities of a lucrative revenue stream, as cars were taxed at about 300 percent.Dissanayake said the ban’s end would bolster state revenue to meet the tax target of 15 percent of GDP, which the country must achieve under the terms of an International Monetary Fund bailout agreement."For the year 2025, the bulk of revenue gains is expected to be delivered by the liberalisation of motor vehicle imports," the president told parliament."This process is being carefully monitored to ensure that the import of vehicles does not result in undue negative impacts on external sector stability."The budget also doubled the entrance fee of the island’s two casinos to $100 and raised the turnover tax on gaming establishments to 18 percent, up from 15 percent.The IMF wants Sri Lanka to double its income from taxation compared to the 7.3 percent of GDP it took in 2022, when the country defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt.That year saw the island run out of foreign exchange to finance the import of food, fuel and other essentials, prompting months of street protests led to the toppling of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Sri Lanka secured a $2.9 billion four-year loan from the IMF the following year.Dissanayake, who was elected last year promising to end corruption and bring back stolen assets stashed abroad, said the economy was on the mend."We should be in a comfortable position to service our foreign debts from 2028," he said.He also announced a hefty 65 percent increase in the minimum wage to 40,000 rupees ($133) and raised subsidies for low-income earners. Central Asia
Oil inches up on Kazakhstan supply disruption (Reuters)
Reuters [2/18/2025 3:10 AM, Colleen Howe and Trixie Sher Li Yap, 5.2M]
Brent crude oil prices advanced on Tuesday adding to gains in the previous session after a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia reduced flows from Kazakhstan, but gains were capped on the prospects of supply rising soon.
Brent crude futures gained 23 cents, or 0.3%, to $75.45 per barrel at 0758 GMT.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 75 cents from Friday’s close at $71.49 a barrel. There was no settlement for WTI on Monday due to the U.S. Presidents’ Day holiday.
"The overriding theme driving oil prices lately has been around supply expectations. With the weakness in prices over the past weeks, news of a drone strike on Kazakhstan’s export pipeline in Russia has provided the catalyst for some bearish sentiment to unwind," IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong said in an email.
A senior Russian official said on Tuesday that Ukrainian drones had attacked a pipeline in Russia, which pumps about 1% of global crude supply. He said the strike could disrupt flows to world markets and damage U.S. companies.
Meanwhile, the Black Sea CPC Blend oil loading plan for February would remain unchanged, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters."However, longer-term gains are likely to remain capped as the market may anticipate higher supplies from OPEC+ and Russia further down the road, while improvement in demand outlook particularly from China still remains uncertain, going by recent economic data," IG’s Yeap said.
BMI analysts said in a note that they see Brent prices averaging $76 a barrel in 2025, down 5% from the 2024 average, because of market oversupply, tariffs and trade tensions.
OPEC+ producers are not considering delaying a series of monthly oil supply increases scheduled to begin in April, according to a Russian state media report.
In December, OPEC had pushed back a plan to begin raising output to April, due to weak demand and rising supply outside the group.
Markets were also waiting to see if Russia-Ukraine peace talks will bear fruit, as U.S. and Russian officials meet for talks in Saudi Arabia later on Tuesday.
"There is seemingly plenty to be bearish about in the crude market, the biggest factor now being the outcome of Ukraine negotiations. Russian oil may partially come back to the legitimate market, though there are of course many permutations as to the end result here," said Sparta Commodities analyst Neil Crosby. Indo-Pacific
Costa Rica Will Take Central Asian and Indian Migrants Deported by U.S. (New York Times)
New York Times [2/17/2025 9:18 PM, Annie Correal, 129344K]
Costa Rica announced on Monday that it would receive a flight this week from the United States carrying 200 migrants from Central Asia and India, making it the second nation in Central America to accept deportees from faraway countries who had crossed illegally into the United States.Last week, Panama received three U.S. deportation flights, carrying migrants from countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.Such flights appear to be the Trump administration’s new tactic for dealing with unauthorized migrants from countries to which it might not be easy to return them, as the administration seeks to ramp up deportations. Rather than keep such migrants in detention centers on the southern border, the administration is recruiting other countries willing to accept them, where it is not clear what will ultimately happen to the deportees.While traveling through Central America and the Caribbean earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio received assurances from several governments, including Panama’s and Costa Rica’s, that they were committed to working with the Trump administration on migration issues. But few details were offered.In its Monday announcement, the Costa Rican government said the first group of deportees would arrive on a commercial flight on Wednesday afternoon.Costa Rica said its territory would “serve as a bridge” for the migrants’ return to their countries of origin, and that the repatriation process would be “fully funded by the U.S. government, under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration,” a United Nations agency that Costa Rica said would be responsible for the care of the migrants during their stay in the country. Panama has described a similar process for the deportees sent there by the United States.The U.N. agency’s representatives in Costa Rica did not immediately respond to a request for comment.After arriving in the main airport serving San José, the capital, the deportees will be transported to a migrant shelter in the canton of Corredores, in the country’s south, Costa Rica said.Costa Rican officials did not say how many migrants they expected the United States to ultimately send, or how long they would remain in Costa Rica before being sent to their countries of origin.Not long ago, Costa Rica was grappling with how to cope with thousands of migrants passing through on their way to the U.S. border. Its shelters were crowded with people who, in many cases, had passed through the perilous Darién Gap, between Colombia and Panama, to reach Central America.In the last year, the number of migrants passing through Costa Rica has dropped dramatically as the United States, Mexico and Panama have hardened their borders and enhanced immigration enforcement. Twitter
Afghanistan
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:01 PM, 30.7K followers, 43 retweets, 123 likes]
There’s a lot of confusion about the vetting of Afghans coming to the U.S. under #EnduringWelcome. Let’s set the record straight: There are two pathways for wartime allies, and both are among the most thoroughly vetted groups entering the U.S. Another #AfghanEvac
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 2 retweets, 17 likes]
Pathway 1: Consular Track This includes Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (#SIV) holders, Immigrant Visa (IV) recipients, and Follow-to-Join asylees. Adjudication for this track is handled by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) at the @StateDept.
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 6 retweets, 18 likes]
Pathway 2: Refugee Track This includes Afghans being resettled as refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). These are family of U.S. military, judges and prosecutors who put the Taliban away, and more. These cases are handled by @StatePRM at the @statedept.
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 2 retweets, 14 likes]
Despite the different tracks, all applicants undergo extensive vetting before setting foot in the U.S. This process includes:- Biometric screening (fingerprints, facial scans)- Multiple security databases- Document fraud checks- Intelligence reviews
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 2 retweets, 13 likes]
For SIVs & Consular Applicants- They go through a multi-step process that includes fraud/document reviews, biometric vetting, and medical screening before travel.- At U.S. government facilities, Consular Affairs & @DHSgov conduct further biometric and security reviews.
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 2 retweets, 15 likes]
For Refugees- @statePRM and @USCIS conduct initial eligibility and fraud checks.- Refugees undergo biometric verification multiple times, including before departure and upon arrival in the U.S.- USCIS officers conduct interviews to assess credibility.
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 6 retweets, 26 likes]
Bottom Line:- Both pathways involve rigorous vetting by multiple U.S. government agencies.- No one is skipping security checks.- #EnduringWelcome Afghans are not "unvetted"—they are vetted more thoroughly than nearly any other group.
Shawn VanDiver@shawnjvandiver
[2/17/2025 5:02 PM, 30.7K followers, 12 retweets, 34 likes]
Misinformation about Afghan arrivals is harmful and misleading. If you see false claims, correct them. That’s why I’ve corrected VP @JDVance multiple times. Wartime allies put their lives on the line for the U.S.—we owe them the truth, not fearmongering. #AfghanEvacHabib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/17/2025 10:44 AM, 247.6K followers, 89 retweets, 301 likes]
Some Taliban apologists repeatedly claimed, There may be no food under the Taliban, but at least there is peace. Now, there is neither peace nor food—just endless suicide attacks and Taliban weddings. Furthermore, women’s rights will never be granted under the Taliban.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/17/2025 9:41 AM, 247.6K followers, 404 retweets, 1.1K likes]
Girls in Afghanistan are the most vulnerable in the world, living under a Taliban misogynistic regime that has stolen their basic rights. It has been 1,249 days since their schools were shut down.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/14/2025 10:40 AM, 247.6K followers, 100 retweets, 369 likes]
The stabbing of Afghan journalist Natiq Malikzada in his UK room is deeply alarming. Hours before the attack, he tweeted about self-censoring and called the UK a Taliban Western capital. Taliban sympathizers in Europe and North America pose a real threat—authorities must act. Pakistan
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/16/2025 11:50 AM, 21.1M followers, 12K retweets, 20K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Conversation with Lawyers and Media:
15 February 2025
"After the holy month of Ramadan, we will formulate a strategy in collaboration with all opposition parties and launch a nationwide protest movement. To this end, I have directed my negotiation committee to expedite communications. We will invite individuals from all sectors of Pakistan — including lawyers, farmers, laborers, scholars, and students — to participate in this protest and take to the streets to reclaim their rights. This protest will be for the restoration of democracy and the Constitution, and for our genuine freedom and sovereignty.
It is the duty of any judge to refrain from passing judgments or making remarks until both sides have been heard, as judicial comments and rulings influence not only the immediate cases but also future ones. Judicial ethics demand that a judge should exercise restraint when making remarks during hearings. Justice Musarrat Hilali should have considered both perspectives before making unilateral comments on the May 9th (2023) incident. No independent commission has been formed, nor have judicial inquiries been conducted regarding this incident. The police and intelligence agencies have not presented any evidence in court to support the cases they have registered concerning May 9th. Even CCTV footage of the incident is missing. The Supreme Court has already declared my arrest from the Islamabad High Court illegal.
We were the victims of oppression on May 9th. Our workers were martyred, yet we were held responsible and persecuted. The mothers and sisters of our nation were dragged through the streets that day in an absolutely disgraceful manner. The events of May 9th were a premeditated and an orchestrated false-flag operation, and no rational individual should have any doubt about this.
On that day, I was unlawfully and disrespectfully taken into custody by paramilitary Rangers from within the premises of the Islamabad High Court without a warrant, as part of a pre-planned scheme to provoke public outrage. Then, infiltrators were planted within our peaceful protests to turn them into a false-flag operation. Even before May 9th, lists of 10,000 of our workers had already been prepared, and within days, they were arrested. Under the pretense of May 9th, immense oppression and fascism were unleashed upon the people of Pakistan. Our people were martyred and injured, thousands were illegally detained in raids, forcibly disappeared, and handed over into military custody where they were subjected to torture. Many of our leaders and workers remain wrongfully incarcerated to this day. The real objective of May 9th was to crush Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and this campaign continues. Under the guise of a fabricated narrative about May 9th, people’s fundamental rights have been stripped away, depriving them of their right to live. In our country’s history, only during the fall of Dhaka had a political party been treated in such a manner, where even the dignity and innocence of women and children was violated.
Despite our repeated demands, no judicial commission has been formed to investigate the events of May 9th and November 26th (2024). The truth would have been revealed to the public if such a commission had been established. The purpose of a judicial commission is to conduct transparent investigations into disputed matters and determine the real culprits, based on facts. We also demanded the retrieval of CCTV footage related to the May 9th incidents. We have approached every court regarding human rights violations. A bench of the Lahore High Court, headed by Justice Baqar Najafi, heard our petition, but its decision has been ‘reserved’ for over a year and a half. From Aamer Farooq to Qazi Faez Isa and now Yahya Afridi and the constitutional bench, no one heard our human rights petitions. 1/2
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/16/2025 11:50 AM, 21.1M followers, 2.9K retweets, 4.2K likes]
Even now, if a judicial commission is formed, the state’s false narrative about May 9th will be exposed — a false narrative that the public was already aware of and rejected on February 8th, 2024. Invisible forces have seized control of every institution in the country at this time. Adiala Jail is currently under the command of a colonel who neither follows the law nor adheres to jail regulations. My supporters travel from distant regions of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Kashmir to meet me, yet they are denied visitation rights, which is a violation of my fundamental rights. Even my own children are not allowed to speak with me, all in an attempt to exert pressure on me." 2/2
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/14/2025 6:30 AM, 21.1M followers, 15K retweets, 24K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Third Open Letter to Army Chief, General Asim Munir - February 13, 2025“I am neither seeking any deal for myself nor any concession for my party. As a former Prime Minister and a patriotic Pakistani, my sole concern is the restoration of my army’s reputation and the national interest of my beloved country. Despite the fact that the army is engaged in a war against terrorism and facing daily casualties, there is a lack of harmony between the public and the military due to the establishment’s policies.
I urge the ISPR to refrain from presenting false narratives. Repeatedly claiming that the armed forces do not interfere in politics is an insult to the intelligence of the nation. In this era of social media, nothing can be concealed. Every citizen of the country is aware that it is the Army Chief who runs the system of this country. Be it electoral rigging, the buying and selling of parliamentarians, the destruction of the judiciary, or oppressive laws restricting public opinion—both our well-informed nation and the international community are aware of the invisible hands orchestrating these actions. Therefore, I request that falsehoods be avoided, as they only tarnish the reputation of the military as an institution.
I will highlight five key points that have pushed Pakistan to the brink of devastation:
1. Imposing Rejected Figures on the Nation through Rigged Elections
The establishment’s policy of installing rejected leaders through rigged elections is causing immense harm to the country. Not long ago, the nation was being informed about the corruption scandals involving assets such as Surrey Mansion and Mayfair Flats. However, the entire state machinery and agencies were deployed not only to conduct massive pre-election rigging but also to orchestrate the biggest post-election fraud in history, forcibly imposing these same individuals on the nation.
Efforts have been made to propagate the narrative that the cases against the Sharif and Zardari families were politically motivated. However, the truth is that no corruption cases were initiated against them during our tenure. Intelligence agencies gathered evidence of their corruption. General Ehtesham Zamir and Farooq Leghari had compiled dossiers detailing their billions of rupees worth of corruption and money laundering. The NAB (National Accountability Bureau) was never under our control; General Bajwa was the one who controlled it. All cases against them predated our tenure. The only case initiated during our government was the Ramzan Sugar Mills case against Shehbaz Sharif, which has also been closed. The nation has witnessed how these individuals, tainted by NAB cases, were granted a clean slate through a backdoor deal and reimposed on Pakistan. The amendments in NAB laws, which effectively granted them an NRO, have inflicted an economic loss of 1,100 billion Rupees on the country. If one traces this fraudulent scheme, all puppet strings lead to a single hand, and the army is bearing the brunt of the blame.
2. The Destruction of Democracy
Democracy thrives on moral authority. A government can only function democratically if it possesses ethical legitimacy. Over the past three decades, Pakistan had gradually progressed toward democratic restoration. The judiciary had attained some independence through sustained struggle, the media had gained a degree of freedom, and the country was on a path to improvement. However, first, our government was ousted through a conspiracy. Then, not only was a fraudulent government installed, but the Constitution was violated to ensure their continued rule. Elections were postponed, all possible pre-election manipulations were carried out, our election symbol was taken away through Qazi Faez Isa, our key candidates were barred from contesting, and even our election campaign was suppressed. 1/3
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/14/2025 6:30 AM, 21.1M followers, 5.7K retweets, 8.3K likes]
Despite these obstacles, when the Pakistani people gave us a landslide victory, the results were altered through Form-47, reducing our majority and allowing a party with only 17 seats to seize control. To conceal this electoral fraud and crush the PTI (party), democracy has been completely violated. The report by PATTAN, an independent election audit organization should serve to enlighten everyone about the electoral fraud, which documents 64 new methods of rigging, exposing the damage inflicted upon democracy. With severe media censorship and human rights violations, all pillars of democracy have been dismantled. In summary, all fundamental elements of democracy—an independent judiciary, freedom of speech, a free press, and human rights—have been systematically dismantled. This entire scheme is fundamentally driven by the establishment’s attempt to crush PTI and cover up election fraud.
3. Misplaced National Priorities
While the world is progressing forward, we are moving in the opposite direction. Pakistan needs deep structural reforms, including institutional strengthening, the rule of law, economic growth, increased revenue, reduced expenditures, job creation in line with population growth, social security, law and order, and foreign investment. Strong institutions are the cornerstone of national development. Such reforms are challenging and can only be undertaken by a government that has public legitimacy and moral authority. Those who seize power through NROs and electoral fraud lack the capacity for reform. Today, we have a fraudulent parliament, sham legislators, counterfeit ministers, and even a fake president. Their sole agenda is a reign of terror—to rule through fear and intimidation.
National stability can only be achieved through rule of law and granting citizens their fundamental freedoms. Yet, in the 21st century, even internet access is being curtailed, harming education, social life, and economic activities. The already struggling economy is suffering further due to such reckless measures. After the 26th Amendment, Pakistan ranks just above a few countries in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, we are rapidly transitioning from a hybrid system to a fully authoritarian regime. Similarly, national security can only be ensured by adopting rational foreign policies that prioritize Pakistan’s interests. Our approach toward Afghanistan is not serious, and as a result, we are facing an escalating terrorism crisis.
4. Brain Drain and Capital Flight
Due to ongoing oppression and lawlessness, the Pakistani public is deeply disheartened. Investors and skilled professionals are leaving the country in large numbers. Over the past two years, 1.7 million people have migrated abroad, causing an estimated economic loss of 15 to 20 billion Dollars. Economic instability is at its peak, with zero growth and negligible investment. Poverty and unemployment are skyrocketing. Reports of Pakistanis perishing at sea while attempting to flee the country emerge daily, underscoring the depth of despair prevalent in the nation.
5. Human Rights Violations
The country is witnessing an era of fascism, marked by rampant violations of fundamental human rights. The oppression and desecration of personal sanctities are reminiscent of what transpired in East Pakistan before the fall of Dhaka. On February 8th (2025), under the pretense of preventing protests, police raids were conducted across the country, violating the sanctity of private homes—a practice that continues unabated. The Punjab Police, in an excessive display of loyalty to the ruling elite, has descended into sheer lawlessness. In Wazirabad, they even prevented us from offering funeral prayers for our worker. 2/3
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/14/2025 6:30 AM, 21.1M followers, 5.7K retweets, 8.3K likes]
If no action is taken against the serious human rights violations committed by the state during tragedies like May 9 (2023) and November 26 (2024), justice will remain unattainable in this country. On May 9th (2023) and November 26th (2024), our unarmed, democracy-loving supporters faced extreme brutality. Peaceful citizens were shot and martyred, over 100,000 raids were conducted on citizens’ homes in three years, more than 20,000 workers and supporters were arrested, and hundreds were abducted and tortured. Thousands of innocent individuals were imprisoned for months under fabricated cases. Political engagement has been criminalized. Civilians have been subjected to torture in military custody, and the human rights violations once limited to Balochistan have now spread across the entire country. In my cases, "pocket judges" are being handpicked, my lawyers are barred from attending jail trials, and only selected journalists are granted access at will. This systemic breakdown follows the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which has completely dismantled the justice system, allowing the rule of force to prevail. People’s fundamental right to live is being stripped away. Unless Pakistan is rescued from this quagmire, the country cannot move forward.
Given the aforementioned points, it is imperative that the establishment immediately revises its policies to prevent further damage to the institution of the army. The elite, who have plundered the national treasury and amassed wealth abroad, will simply flee on the next flight. Instead of expending the entire system’s energy on protecting this clique, the focus must shift toward setting the right priorities and addressing the needs of the 240 million Pakistanis whose lives and futures are rooted in this country. The only path to Pakistan’s survival and progress is to rise above personal interests, learn from past mistakes, and align all actions and policies with the Constitution and the rule of law.
For political and economic stability, it is crucial to bridge the gulf between the armed forces and the people. The only way to achieve this is for the military to withdraw from politics and focus solely on its constitutionally mandated responsibilities. If this does not happen, these widening rifts will become national security fault lines.” 3/3
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[2/16/2025 11:15 PM, 75.7K followers, 4 retweets, 34 likes]
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 has arrived in NewYork to participate in the high level meeting of the UNSC under the Chair of China.
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[2/16/2025 12:46 PM, 75.7K followers, 178 retweets, 870 likes]
Pakistan conducts Airstrikes on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan — Pakistan border region, terrorist hideouts of TTP targeted in strikes on both sides of the border. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/17/2025 8:32 PM, 105.4M followers, 7.5K retweets, 62K likes]
Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/175/2025 2:26 PM, 105.4M followers, 10K retweets, 72K likes]
Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/15/2025 10:54 AM, 105.4M followers, 7.3K retweets, 44K likes]
Kashi Tamil Sangamam begins… A celebration of the timeless civilizational bonds between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, this forum brings together the spiritual, cultural and historical connections that have flourished for centuries. It also highlights the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat.’ I do urge all of you to be a part of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025! @KTSangamam
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/15/2025 8:16 AM, 105.4M followers, 3.4K retweets, 22K likes]
At 8 PM this evening, I look forward to speaking at the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025. I have been addressing this forum on various occasions and have witnessed its growth as a premier platform for insightful discussions on global economics, innovation and business excellence. @ETNOWlive
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/15/2025 5:03 AM, 105.4M followers, 4.7K retweets, 27K likes]
The NDA Governments, both in the Centre and Assam, have been working tirelessly to empower the Bodo community and fulfil Bodo aspirations. These works will continue with even greater vigour. I fondly recall my own visit to Kokrajhar, where I witnessed the vibrant Bodo culture.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/15/2025 4:56 AM, 105.4M followers, 4.6K retweets, 22K likes]
During her remarks in Parliament, Finance Minister @nsitharaman Ji has given a very clear picture of the Indian economy and the reform trajectory we are undertaking. Here are the links to her speeches… https://youtube.com/watch?v=hf-qw-g2OwY https://youtu.be/9PIJR-GEMRM?si
Narendra Modi@narendramodi[2/14/2025 5:18 AM, 105.4M followers, 20K retweets, 131K likes]
Here are highlights from an extremely fruitful USA visit… From energy to education, trade to technology and AI to space…many issues discussed.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/17/2025 2:50 AM, 3.3M followers, 475 retweets, 2.9K likes]
At the panel discussion organised by @orfonline on Exception and Exceptionalism: Deciphering the 2025 World Order at #MSC2025
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 10:00 AM, 3.3M followers, 161 retweets, 1.1K likes]
Pleased to catch up with FM @abkhaleel of Maldives. Exchanged views on the many facets of our cooperation.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 10:47 AM, 3.3M followers, 148 retweets, 1K likes]
A productive interaction with FM @HMVijithaHerath on sidelines of 8th Indian Ocean Conference Took stock of our wide - ranging cooperation. Committed to the economic recovery and progress of Sri Lanka.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 10:43 AM, 3.3M followers, 271 retweets, 2.6K likes]
Glad to meet with FM @Arzuranadeuba of Nepal today. Had a useful review of our bilateral cooperation. Look forward to strengthening our ties.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 9:29 AM, 3.3M followers, 431 retweets, 3.8K likes]
Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 7:27 AM, 3.3M followers, 335 retweets, 3.1K likes]
A pleasure talking with @FMBhutan D. N. Dhungyel in Muscat today. Our discussion focused on advancing our bilateral and regional cooperation. Underlined the dynamism of our unique and time - tested partnership.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 6:09 AM, 3.3M followers, 245 retweets, 2.3K likes]
Glad to meet former President @RW_SRILANKA on sidelines of 8th Indian Ocean Conference.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/16/2025 4:49 AM, 3.3M followers, 359 retweets, 1.8K likes]
Pleased to address the inaugural session of 08th Indian Ocean Conference, on our voyage to new horizons of maritime partnership. A global lifeline, the Indian Ocean region comes together to meet its development, connectivity, maritime and security aspirations. Highlighted how India is contributing to these shared endeavours:
1 As a stable partner and friend in times of COVID, food & fuel shortages or even economic crisis.
2 As a promoter of greater land and sea connectivity - be it IMEC, IMTT or INSTC.
3 In becoming a first responder to conflicts and disasters in the region, both natural and man made.
4 By promoting interoperability and synergies with partners to face maritime contingencies and piracy.
5 Ensuring maritime safety and security by establishing coastal surveillance radars and partnering on White Shipping agreements.
6 In responding to extreme situations through deployment of naval forces.
7 Though capacity - building of other Indian Ocean Navies and coast guards.
8 By ensuring trusted and secure communication in a digital era.
9 In closing gaps and building bridges between resident and non resident powers with the Global South. And discouraging alien agendas.
10 Supporting institution building in the region, be it IORA, BIMSTEC, IONS, CSC, IPOI or the Indian Ocean Conference itself. NSB
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[2/16/2025 3:06 AM, 111.6K followers, 210 retweets, 4.9K likes]
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus speaks at DC Conference 2025 at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. #Bangladesh #ChiefAdviser
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[2/15/2025 12:28 AM, 111.6K followers, 3K retweets, 22K likes]
Had great meeting with Mr @elonmusk. We agreed to work together. Hoping to launch Starlink in Bangladesh soon together with him
K P Sharma Oli@kpsharmaoli
[2/17/2025 8:03 AM, 865.3K followers, 1.2K retweets, 10K likes]
Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference. #Nepal #Odisha
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/17/2025 9:11 AM, 33.7K followers, 26 retweets, 34 likes]
Congratulations, High Commissioner Azeema, on presenting your Letter of Credence to Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu, President of India @rashtrapatibhvn I am confident that under your leadership, #Maldives-#India ties will deepen—strengthening bilateral cooperation, prosperity, and stronger people-to-people connections. @MDVinINDIA
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/17/2025 9:10 AM, 33.7K followers, 26 retweets, 29 likes]
Had a productive meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal @Arzuranadeuba at the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference. Reflected on the resilience of the historical relationship between our two countries and discussed ways to further strengthen it. #IOC2025
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/17/2025 1:39 AM, 33.7K followers, 27 retweets, 28 likes]
On #GlobalTourismResilienceDay, we recognize the strength and adaptability of the tourism industry. Resilience is the key to ensuring its future. In Maldives, the tourism industry has demonstrated strong resilience to the changing demands of the global economy and has successfully embraced and led the transition to sustainable tourism. Let us continue to invest in a tourism industry that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive, one that offers lasting benefits for our communities and thrives amidst global challenges. #GlobalTourismResilienceDay
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/16/2025 10:02 AM, 33.7K followers, 40 retweets, 60 likes]
Good to meet the Minister of External Affairs of India, @DrSJaishankar, on the sidelines of the #IOC2025. We had a meaningful discussion on key bilateral issues and explored avenues for further strengthening cooperation between our two countries. Close and friendly ties between #Maldives and #India continues to shape our partnership. @MEAIndia
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/16/2025 7:54 AM, 33.7K followers, 33 retweets, 45 likes]
Engaged in a productive discussion with @FMBhutan D.N. Dhungyel in the margins of #IOC2025. We discussed ways to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the #Maldives and #Bhutan. @MFABhutan
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[2/17/2025 6:48 AM, 145.7K followers, 42 retweets, 641 likes]
Today (17), I delivered the Budget 2025 speech in Parliament, taking the first step towards building a thriving nation. Excited for the journey ahead as we shape a prosperous future together. Central Asia
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[2/14/2025 10:00 AM, 24.1K followers, 4 retweets, 3 likes]
Uzbeks, reportedly deported from US among 119 migrants to Panama, are not known to the UZ government, apparently, with @uzbekmfa asserting Tashkent will closely cooperate with US authorities/ICE re deportations of its citizens.{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.