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 25, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Biden Admin Claimed US Could Still Monitor Afghanistan Following Withdrawal. Rubio Says the Situation Is ‘Far More Uncertain.’ (Washington Free Beacon)
Washington Free Beacon [2/24/2025 1:50 PM, Matthew Xiao, 475K]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that terrorist groups are exploiting ungoverned regions in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, challenging the Biden administration’s claim that the United States can remotely monitor and eliminate terror threats.
"I wouldn’t say it’s the pre-9/11 landscape, but I think any time you have governing spaces that are contested, that you don’t have a government that has full control of every part of their territory, it creates the opportunity for these groups," Rubio told interviewer Catherine Herridge on Thursday, according to a Voice of America report.
"The difference between today and 10 years ago is that we don’t have American elements on the ground to target and go after them," Rubio added, referring to the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. During the abrupt withdrawal, widely considered one of the Biden administration’s most significant foreign policy blunders, a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. service members.
The Taliban quickly regained control of Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal, taking the Biden State Department by surprise. The administration nevertheless said that its "over-the-horizon" counterterrorism strategy allowed the United States to detect and neutralize terrorist threats without a physical presence in the country.
Even Biden administration officials were unsure about the strategy’s effectiveness, however, with then-director of national intelligence Avril Haines in May 2023 confirming reports that the United States no longer had eyes on the ground in Afghanistan.
A U.N. report earlier this month corroborated Rubio’s comments, noting that al Qaeda operatives are finding safe havens across Afghanistan.
"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 reads, adding that extremist groups have conducted strikes in Europe and are "actively seeking to recruit from among Central Asian states" bordering Afghanistan.
Rubio struck a similar note in the interview. The situation in the Middle East is "far more uncertain" than it used to be, the secretary of state said—"and it’s not just limited to Afghanistan.". Groups call on veterans to protest Trump administration’s ‘intentional betrayal’ of Afghans who helped U.S. forces (PBS)
PBS [2/24/2025 9:16 AM, Laura Barron-Lopez, 12036K]
The main coalition of advocacy groups that have helped resettle Afghans who aided American forces during the war is ramping up its pressure campaign on President Donald Trump to reverse course after he closed the door on an estimated 200,000 people.
The coalition of more than 250 groups, known as #AfghanEvac, is calling on veterans of the global war on terror to rally against the Trump administration for blocking the relocation of Afghans in danger of retaliation from the Taliban for working with the U.S. government.
"This is worse than the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021. Because now, we know better. Because this time, it is not an accident," Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and founder of #AfghanEvac, wrote in an open letter to veterans Monday. "It is not an oversight. It is a choice. It is an intentional betrayal of those we swore to stand with and an insult to the veterans who led this fight.".
Within hours of taking office, Trump issued an executive action that indefinitely halted all refugee admissions and foreign aid, including cancelling flights for Afghans who were already vetted and who had booked flights to come to the U.S. Trump’s actions effectively denied nearly all pathways forward for Afghans who helped the U.S. military over the course of the 20-year war.
The letter, provided first to PBS News, calls on veterans to speak up and call their representatives in a push to convince the Trump administration to reverse course. VanDiver also placed blame on some of Trump’s top advisers.
"We believe this decision comes directly from the White House, specifically from Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. We don’t know if Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio, or even President Trump himself, are aware of the implications of this shut down," VanDiver writes. "We are certain that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, does not support this action, because he has vocally and publicly worked for the last several years to ensure an immigration pathway is available for the Afghans he served alongside.".
Waltz, a green beret who served two combat tours in Afghanistan, has staunchly supported resettling Afghans to the U.S., warning often that the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan after the withdrawal put the lives of Afghan allies at risk. Miller, one of Trump’s longtime advisers, fervently supported dismantling the country’s refugee system during the campaign — one of the legal pathways available to immigrants — even as Trump attacked President Joe Biden over the Afghanistan pullout.
The White House and the National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment.
Included in the 200,000 Afghans estimated eligible for resettlement as refugees or through a special immigration visa are 3,000 family members of active-duty U.S. military. And tens of thousands of Afghans who were ready to travel to the U.S. have been stranded in Kabul and Pakistan.
Pressed on why he thinks Trump himself is unaware of the actions of his own administration officials, VanDiver said, "Because it’s hard for my brain, or our brains, to understand that he would be such a hypocrite.".
"It’s too hard for my brain to comprehend that he would know that this was happening and just leave these people behind," VanDiver added in a phone call with PBS News.
The pressure campaign comes as Trump’s administration is now drafting plans to completely shut down the State Department office that oversees the resettlement of Afghans to the U.S., known as the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, or CARE. The move would mean a complete end to official efforts to protect and relocate Afghans who aided or worked directly for the U.S. government and their relatives.
The relocation office, created in the aftermath of the chaotic 2021 pullout under the Biden administration, was recently funded for another three years by Congress. Then-Rep. Waltz, now Trump’s national security adviser, and then-Sen. Rubio, now Trump’s Secretary of State, voted for that funding in December.
"You may hear, ‘We don’t know who these people are.’ That is a lie," the letter states. "You may hear, "This is just a temporary pause." That is a lie. Trump’s State Department is making permanent plans to dismantle the relocation infrastructure that we built, brick-by-brick, through sheer grit and unwavering force of will.".
A State Department spokesperson acknowledged the administration is considering the future of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, but said no decisions have been made at this time. They added that the program continues to provide support to Afghan allies currently at overseas processing locations.
The State Department spokesperson did not respond to questions about AfghanEvac’s push for the administration to reverse its decision.
Processing of special immigrant visas for the thousands of Afghans stuck in Qatar or Albania means nothing, VanDiver said, if all funding and flights are cancelled. To date, some 200,000 Afghans have resettled in America since 2021.
The State Department is expected to review a plan this week that would shutter the program entirely by April — potentially leaving 200,000 Afghans stranded and some separated from their loved ones. U.K. Husband and Wife, Both in 70s, Arrested by Taliban in Afghanistan (New York Times)
New York Times [2/25/2025 2:56 AM, Megan Specia, 831K]
A British couple who spent almost two decades running education programs in Afghanistan were detained by the Taliban earlier this month, their children said in interviews with a number of British news outlets.
The couple, Peter Reynolds and Barbie Reynolds, were arrested on Feb. 1 when returning to their home in the country’s Bamiyan Province, according to accounts first given to The Sunday Times of London. The pair, who are in their 70s, have long run a program that offers education and training in Afghanistan.
After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021 and the withdrawal of Western troops from the country, the couple decided to stay despite the potential risk, according to one of their four children.“They were just trying to help the country they loved,” Sarah Entwistle, the couple’s eldest daughter, told The Sunday Times.
When the Taliban came to power, it imposed an Islamic republic government and rolled back rights for women and other groups, including restricting access to education for women after the sixth grade. Women are also banned from most workplaces, and public spaces like parks, gyms and salons under Taliban law.
Ms. Entwistle told the BBC that she and her siblings were able to message their parents for a few days after their arrest. Her parents told them they were being held by the interior ministry but were fine, she said. But she added that she has not heard from them in over two weeks and said she feared for their well-being because of their age and because her father is currently taking medication, after recently suffering from a stroke.
Mr. Reynolds, 79, and Ms. Reynolds, 75, were working on a number of educational projects as part of Rebuild, a research and training company that they founded in 2009. One program helped to teach parenting skills to mothers, according to their daughter. “The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous,” Ms. Entwistle told The Sunday Times.
The couple’s connection to Afghanistan extends back to their youth. According to their development company’s website, they married there more than 50 years ago. Rebuild is based in Kabul, but has programs across the country.“Under the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Rebuild has grown and developed new enterprises with new staff, eager to help and support their country’s future,” the company website reads. In a video on the website, published months after the Taliban took control, Mr. Reynolds explains the practical training they offer. Footage shows women in head scarves and men taking part in courses, including “communication skills” and management training. In other clips, children are shown apparently learning the alphabet.
The couple’s children have written to the Taliban, in a letter shared with The Associated Press, urging them to release Mr. and Ms. Reynolds.“They have always been open about their presence and their work, diligently respecting and obeying the laws as they change,” their children wrote. “They have chosen Afghanistan as their home, rather than with family in England, and they wish to spend the rest of their lives in Afghanistan.”
In their letter, the family said that the Taliban were aware of the couple’s work and had previously supported their training efforts.“We kindly ask for the release of our father and mother so they can return to their work in teaching, training and serving Afghanistan, which you have previously supported.”
The Taliban government and local officials in Bamiyan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A representative for Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed in an emailed statement that it is “supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan,” but declined to provide further details.
The foreign office advises against all travel to Afghanistan, pointing to a “heightened risk of British nationals being detained” and to the British government’s “extremely limited” ability to help those in need of consular support, as it has no embassy or diplomatic relationship with the Taliban.
The United States also has no diplomatic representatives in the country and has likewise warned against travel to Afghanistan by American citizens. A number of Westerners have been detained in the country since the Taliban seized control, and two Americans were freed in a prisoner swap in January. Taliban confirm British couple in their 70s arrested in Afghanistan as family call for their release (AP)
AP [2/24/2025 8:43 PM, Staff, 10355K]
The Taliban on Monday confirmed the arrest of a British couple in their 70s in Afghanistan after a plea from their children for their release.
The four adult children of Peter and Barbie Reynolds said their parents have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, remaining after the Taliban toppled the Western-backed government in 2021.
The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an organization that provides education and training programs for businesses, government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups. The Sunday Times, which first reported the arrests, said one project was for mothers and children. The Taliban has severely restricted women’s education and activities.
Sarah Entwistle, one of the couple’s children, called for a boycott of England’s ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan being held in Pakistan on Tuesday to pressure the Taliban into releasing her parents. She also urged the British consulate to do everything in their power to help.
"Our parents have always sought to honor the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention," Entwistle told Times Radio. "However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait.".
The couple, along with another foreigner and a local, were taken from central Bamiyan province to the capital Kabul over three weeks ago.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said four people had been arrested: two British citizens with Afghan identity cards and passports, a Chinese-American citizen and their translator, who was trying to resolve the matter. He gave no further details about the four and did not respond to requests for more information. Daughter calls for UK to help British couple in their 70s detained by Taliban (Reuters)
Reuters [2/24/2025 11:15 AM, Sam Tabahriti, 1191K]
A British couple in their 70s who ran education programmes in Afghanistan have been detained by the Taliban administration, their daughter said, urging the British government to do everything possible to secure their release.Barbie and Peter Reynolds, 75 and 79, were detained by the Taliban’s interior ministry on February 1, their daughter Sarah Entwistle, who lives in central England, said.Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, Entwistle said her parents had initially kept in touch via text messages following their detention - assuring their four children that they were fine - before losing all contact three days later."Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention. However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait," she said."We’re now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release," Entwistle added.Britain’s Foreign Office said on Monday it was "supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan," without providing further detail.The BBC, citing official Taliban sources, reported on Sunday that two British nationals believed to be working for a non-governmental organisation in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan had been arrested. It cited one official as saying they had been arrested about 20 days ago after using a plane without informing local authorities.Afghan authorities arrested four individuals - two British nationals, one Chinese-American and their interpreter, Abdul Mateen, a spokesman for the interior ministry, told Reuters.The couple were arrested alongside a Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, and a translator from their training business, Britain’s PA news agency reported.Western countries including Britain and the United States shut their embassies and withdrew their diplomats as the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.Britain advises its nationals against any travel to Afghanistan, warning of the risks of being detained there.The British couple had been running projects in schools in Afghanistan for 18 years, deciding to stay even after the Taliban seized power, the Sunday Times said. Taliban Officials Confirm Arrest Of Two Britons And A Chinese-American (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/24/2025 11:50 AM, Staff, 9355K]Taliban authorities have detained two Britons, a Chinese-American and their Afghan translator, the interior ministry confirmed to AFP late Monday, after the daughter of the British couple called on London to secure their release."Based on certain considerations, the authorities have detained four people: two British citizens holding Afghan papers, one person with Chinese and American nationality and their translator," Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told AFP."Efforts are underway to resolve this issue," he added.Qani spoke shortly after Sarah Entwistle, in an interview with British media, called for her government to do "everything in their power" to secure the release of her parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who had been running training programs in Afghanistan for years.British media had reported their arrest, along with a Chinese-American woman and their Afghan translator, on February 1 in the province of Bamiyan, a major tourist attraction west of Kabul known for its giant Buddhas -- destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban.Qani refused to confirm the identities of the detainees, or give further details on their condition or the reasons for their arrests. "Details will be released shortly," he said.Entwistle and her three brothers had initially chosen not to involve the UK authorities "hoping to hear directly from the Taliban about why they’d arrested our parents", she told TimesRadio on Monday."Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention," she said."However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait. We’re now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release," she added.The British Foreign Office declined to comment on the couple’s arrest.The Reynolds, who married in Kabul in 1970, remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 when the British embassy withdrew its staff.The arrest on February 1 was apparently linked to the teaching of parenting skills to mothers over 30, according to The Sunday Times, which first reported the detention."My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and (he) needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke," Entwistle told the newspaper."They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous," she added.The couple were reportedly arrested as they returned to their home in the central Bamiyan province.In an open letter to the Taliban authorities quoted by the Sunday Times, Entwistle and her brothers pleaded for their parents to be released."We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest," they wrote."Our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan," the letter added.They are not the first foreigners detained by the Taliban authorities.A former Canadian soldier, David Lavery, was released at the end of January after more than two months in captivity, under a deal negotiated by Qatar.A week earlier, two Americans held by the Taliban, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were freed in exchange for Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, convicted of narco-terrorism in the United States.Two other Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, are still being held in the country.Taliban leaders swept back to power in 2021, ousting the US-backed government and implementing a strict interpretation of Islamic law, despite promises not to return to the brutality displayed when they ruled in the 1990s.They have since imposed broad restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education beyond the age of 12 and squeezing them out of jobs and public life with rules the United Nations has labelled "gender apartheid". Taliban says it will try to release British couple as soon as possible (BBC)
BBC [2/24/2025 12:23 PM, Maia Davies, 57114K]
The Taliban has told the BBC it will endeavour to release two British nationals who have been arrested and held in Afghanistan "as soon as possible".Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested on 1 February while returning to their home in the country’s Bamiyan province.
An American national and an Afghan were also arrested alongside the couple, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs said.
The UK Foreign Office said on Monday it was supporting their family.
In a statement, Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani said: "A series of considerations is being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.".
All three foreign nationals had Afghan passports and national ID cards, he added.
The reason for Mr and Mrs Reynolds’s arrest has not been confirmed.
The couple had been running training projects in Afghanistan for 18 years, including one that involved training mothers and children.
Their work had apparently been approved by the local authorities, despite the Taliban banning education for girls over the age of 12 and not allowing women to work.
The Taliban announced women would be banned from working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 2022. Last December, it said it would close any NGOs employing women.
The pair married in Kabul in 1970. They remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, which saw most westerners leave the country.
Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, told the BBC she had not heard from her parents in more than two weeks.
They had communicated by text after the pair were initially arrested, but contact stopped after three days.
Ms Entwistle and her siblings wrote to the Taliban to plead for their parents’ release.
"We recognise that there have been instances where exchanges have been beneficial for your government and western nations," they wrote.
"However, our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan, stating that they would rather sacrifice their lives than become part of ransom negotiations or be traded.".
On Monday, she told Times Radio they were now "urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release".But she said they could no longer wait, telling Times Radio: "We are now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release".The UK shut its embassy in Kabul and withdrew its diplomats from the country after the Taliban returned to power.The Foreign Office says support for British nationals in Afghanistan is therefore "severely limited" and advises against all travel to the country. Pakistan
Pakistani security forces kill 10 militants in a raid near Afghanistan (AP)
AP [2/24/2025 1:05 PM, Staff, 456K]
Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout in the restive northwest near the Afghan border, killing 10 militants, the military said Monday.
The military did not provide additional details about the militants killed in Bagh, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. But such operations are often conducted against the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is an ally of the Taliban in Afghanistan and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power there in 2021.
Meanwhile, a main crossing on the Afghan-Pakistan border remained shut Monday for the third day, officials said, after Pakistan closed the key trade route in a dispute over the construction of a post along the border by Afghanistan, authorities said.
The closure since Saturday has disrupted bilateral trade via Torkham.
Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the commissioner on the Afghan side of the border at Torkham, said whenever Pakistani authorities conduct such construction work on their side of the border, “we say nothing, but whenever we do something, they close” the border crossing.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan. The two sides often shut Torkham over claims of construction of new border posts along their porous border known as the Durand Line. Afghanistan has never recognized the border, while Pakistan has almost completed fencing along it. Pakistan, Azerbaijan sign agreements, MOUs on trade and energy (VOA)
VOA [2/24/2025 10:22 AM, Sarah Zaman, 2717K]
Pakistan and Azerbaijan have signed agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), chiefly about trade and energy, during a visit to Azerbaijan by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif arrived Sunday in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, for a two-day visit to hold talks with President Ilham Aliyev and other top officials.
In a post on social media, the Pakistani leader said he had an "excellent meeting" with Aliyev, saying the two worked on finalizing a portfolio of investments Azerbaijan plans to make in Pakistan.
Aliyev promised a $2 billion investment during a visit to Pakistan last July.
"This will be the first quantum jump in our trade and investment relations and will be a huge reflection of our fraternal ties," a statement from the Pakistani prime minister’s office quoted Sharif as saying.
This is Sharif’s second visit to the Central Asian country since taking office in February of last year.
Aliyev is expected to sign final agreements for investment during a visit to Pakistan in April.
"We received concrete projects from Pakistan, and Azerbaijani representatives are evaluating them. Today we put ambitious and realistic targets to finalize all the discussions within one month and by the beginning of April, the documents will be prepared for signing," the Pakistani statement quoted Aliyev as saying.
Agreements on pipeline, LNG delivery
During Sharif’s visit, Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company, SOCAR, exchanged several MOUs with Pakistan’s oil trading and refining companies, including one to complete a pipeline in the South Asian country, Pakistan’s state-run news agency reported.
The Machike-Thallian-Tarujabba White Oil Pipeline Project is designed to transport oil within Pakistan.
Both sides also signed updated agreements and MOUs on the delivery of liquified natural gas, or LNG, from Azerbaijan to Pakistan.
Prior to the trip, Pakistan’s Economic Cooperation Committee approved a three-year extension of the LNG Framework Agreement between SOCAR and Pakistan LNG Limited Thursday.
Signed in 2023, the agreement allows Pakistan to procure one shipload of LNG per month when required, without any financial commitments, according to the statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance.
Such an agreement allows Pakistan to purchase energy products as needed rather than using precious foreign exchange reserves to pay for unused cargo.
According to Sharif’s office, Aliyev also discussed joint defense production with Pakistan.
"Azerbaijan has already acquired defense equipment from Pakistan and we are satisfied with the quality of this equipment and we will continue to do it," the Azerbaijani leader was quoted as saying.
Last September, the Pakistani military signed a deal to sell JF-17 Thunder block III fighter jets to the Central Asian country. The jets are jointly produced by Pakistan and China.The visit, aimed at bringing more foreign investment to Pakistan, comes as the country prepares for a review of a three-year bailout program with the International Monetary Fund when the lender’s team visits in March.
Pakistan reached a $7 billion loan agreement with the Washington-based lender last September to avoid a balance-of-payment crisis.
In a push to further deepen ties with Central Asian countries, Sharif heads to Uzbekistan Tuesday. World Bank unit lambasts Pakistan over army-backed energy talks (Financial Times)
Financial Times [2/25/2025 12:27 AM, Humza Jilani, 14.6M]
The World Bank’s private finance arm has criticised Pakistan’s army-led renegotiation of wind and solar power contracts in a letter co-signed by seven other international development institutions that have financed projects in the country.
The Financial Times last month reported Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies were heavily involved in talks aimed at changing the terms of renewable energy agreements signed with power companies a decade ago.“Preserving the sanctity of contracts signed by the government and honouring its contractual commitments are central pillars of building investor confidence in . . . Pakistan,” the International Finance Corp and other lenders wrote in the letter, dated February 18 and seen by the FT.“We believe that renegotiating [power purchase agreements] in a non-consultative manner will be detrimental to the long-term development of the sector, undermining investor confidence and discouraging much-needed future private investment,” they wrote.
The lenders, which include the Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, its private lending arm and four European development finance institutions, said they had provided $2.7bn in financing for Pakistan’s power sector over the past 25 years.
Pakistan is desperate to attract foreign investment to stabilise its crisis-stricken economy, including through the privatisation of its debt-laden airline and power distribution companies.
IFC managing director Makhtar Diop said this month the lender aimed to invest $2bn a year in Pakistan over the next decade to support private sector growth.
That pledge came despite rising discord over the power contracts, after negotiations were reopened last year to bring down electricity costs. Businesspeople involved said the talks were conducted in military installations and security officials had threatened investors with investigations into their other business ventures.
They added they felt intimidated to agree to new contracts that would make their investments unviable and force them to shut down energy plants.
The IFC and other institutions wrote that power companies they had financed were “not permitted to agree to changes to any major project document”, including power purchase agreements, “without a prior written approval from the lenders”.“We hope the government will reconsider its approach to PPA renegotiations and work to find alternative ways of solving the energy sector’s structural challenges,” they wrote.
The ADB and FMO, the Dutch development finance company, confirmed they had signed the letter, which was addressed to Awais Leghari, Pakistan’s power minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, finance minister, and Muhammad Ali, a special assistant to the prime minister.
IFC and British International Investment declined to comment. The IDB, German government-backed DEG and France’s Proparco did not respond to requests for comment.
Ali, who co-chairs the task force pursuing the negotiations, denied there had been any coercion, telling the FT that the lenders had been “fed misinformation”. He said the talks had been “civilian-led” and were “very cordial and amicable”.
Ali added “there will be some hit to returns on equity, but . . . [power companies] will still make reasonable profits according to our numbers”.
Asked for comment, the power ministry pointed to Leghari’s statement last month in which he said the renegotiations would enable the government to cut power tariffs for consumers and save at least Rs1tn ($3.6bn).
Pakistan’s military did not respond to a request for comment.
A decade ago, Pakistan promised government-backed, dollar-indexed returns and purchase commitments to draw billions of dollars into its power sector and end blackouts that were damaging its economy.
But soaring energy costs in recent months have caused some industries to shut down, prompted the government, in co-ordination with security services, to renegotiate the deals.
Pakistani energy businesses said the government had promised to guarantee power companies a fixed return on equity, but to do so in rupees, and at a significantly lower exchange rate to the US dollar than current rates.“There will be no profit left,” said one businessperson, pointing to the repeated devaluation of the local currency and their need to repay foreign lenders in dollars.
Industry figures and western diplomats said much of the blame for the rise in prices stems from Chinese-backed power plants, which enjoy similarly lucrative terms but are protected from coercive talks because of Pakistan’s reliance on Beijing for loans and debt rollovers.
Pakistan has asked Beijing to reprofile loans taken by Chinese investors in the energy sector, but Aurangzeb, the finance minister, has repeatedly promised they would not face “haircuts”. Why is Pakistan expelling Afghan refugees? (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [2/24/2025 11:08 AM, Haroon Janjua, 129344K]
A woman who we will call Fatima fled Afghanistan with her family in December 2021. She had worked for an American non-profit organization in Kabul until the US pullout in the summer of 2021, when the Taliban retook control of the country.
She is now based in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. And she is in trouble. Her Pakistani visa is days away from expiring, and the authorities are still processing her application to renew it.
"I am concerned about the renewal of my visa and if not renewed timely authorities would arrest me and my family for illegally residing in the country," Fatima told DW.
Police, including female officers, conducted a raid on a building where Fatima lives, looking for undocumented Afghan refugees. She was not in the building at the time, but her brother ended up in custody.
"Later, we showed them our visa renewal application receipts and proof but police did not cooperate," said Fatima, who is now hiding from the authorities.
Clock running out for refugees in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
In 2023, Pakistan started a massive initiative to repatriate approximately four million Afghans who entered the country over the past 40 years. And while the authorities granted some leeway last year, Pakistan’s government has now set a March 31 deadline to expel foreign nationals residing in the country illegally, with search operations ongoing in January and February.
Afghan refugees living in Islamabad and the nearby city of Rawalpindi "have been verbally asked to leave Pakistan till 28th February," Umer Gillani, a legal expert and rights activist, told DW.
Moniza Kakar, a lawyer working for refugees advocacy in Pakistan, told DW there was "uncertainty and fear" among the Afghani nationals in the area.
"Since the start of this year, over 1,000 Afghans have been detained in Islamabad, and more than 18,000 have been forced to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi because of government orders," she said.‘We’ve worked with the Americans for years’.
Amin, 28, is from Kabul. She has spent years collaborating with the United States in the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan, before she too had to flee across the Pakistani border.
She says she was just days away from being evacuated to America but this was put on hold last month with President Donald Trump signing an executive order to suspend a refugee resettlement program.
Nearly 20,000 Afghans are presently waiting in Pakistan for approval to resettle in the US through an American government program."We’ve worked with the Americans for years, we helped and supported them in Afghanistan, we have given them a part of our lives and they have to support us so that we can live peacefully," Amin told DW.
Kabul and Islamabad row amid rising crackdown
Over the last three years, Pakistan’s relationship with its neighboring Afghanistan has deteriorated.
Islamabad holds the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan responsible for their inability to control the operations of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that formed in 2007 and has conducted numerous attacks on Pakistani security forces.
As cross-border tensions with the Taliban regime escalate, concerns were also raised about the wellbeing of Afghans in Pakistan amid reports of purported intimidation and arrests. The UN special rapporteur has expressed his worries, stating that Afghans in the area deserve more humane treatment.
Activist Gilani says millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are being used as "hostages to build pressure whenever there is tension between the two countries.".
Last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed claims made by the Afghan chargé d’affaires regarding the mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, labelling these allegations as "misplaced" and urging Kabul to facilitate the smooth repatriation of Afghan citizens.
Forced to move after decades in Pakistan
Pakistan has accommodated hundreds of thousands of refugees from its neighboring country, a situation resulting from decades of regional instability. Afghans who arrived in Pakistan following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021 have been relying on visa renewals to stay in the country, a procedure that is costly, uncertain, and often subject to significant delays.
"The stories of refugees are devastating. Families who have lived in Pakistan for years, even decades, are now being uprooted due to tensions between the two countries. Children, women, and men who have already suffered so much are being treated as if they don’t matter. This is not just a refugee crisis, it’s a humanitarian crisis," remarked Kakar.
UN says Pakistan has a tradition of protecting Afghans.
UNHCR’s top representative in Pakistan, Philippa Candler, told DW that Pakistan already repatriated over 800,000 Afghan refugees between September 2023 and the end of last year.
"As of December 2024, Pakistan hosted over 2.8 million Afghans with 69% of refugees living outside refugee villages," she said.
Candler acknowledged Pakistan’s generosity in hosting Afghan refugees for decades and the current "economic and security challenges" in Pakistan that drive the repatriation efforts.At the same time, UNHCR was urging the Islamabad government to "see the situation of Afghans through a humanitarian perspective" and "continue its long-standing tradition of protecting vulnerable Afghans… regardless of their status.".
"It’s essential that we work hand-in-hand with both host countries and countries of origin to develop mechanisms that empower refugees to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity, including voluntary repatriation," she said.
"We are calling for dialogue between the two countries, and for the refugee issue to be separated from political matters.". Can Pakistan’s new anti-extremism policy defeat rising armed attacks? (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [2/25/2025 12:00 AM, Abid Hussain, 18.2M]
Pakistan has unveiled a new policy to tackle “violent extremism” using an unlikely bouquet of tools, including school curriculum changes, religion and social media outreach, in addition to military tactics, at a time when deadly armed attacks are surging.
However, many analysts caution that the plan is too ambitious, thin on details and difficult to execute under the overall leadership of an army attuned to using military force as its primary weapon. Some experts argue that the National Prevention of Violent Extremism (NPVE) Policy, as the new plan is called, is in effect “old wine in a new bottle”.
The latest policy, released for public view last week, comes at a time of escalating violence, particularly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan.
According to figures from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, 2024 was the deadliest year in nearly a decade for Pakistan. The data reveals that 2,526 people were killed in attacks last year – including nearly 700 security personnel, more than 900 civilians, and approximately 900 armed fighters.
The majority of these attacks were carried out by the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, an armed group ideologically linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The TTP has been waging an armed rebellion against Pakistan since its emergence in 2007.
While Pakistan has introduced similar anti-extremism frameworks in the past, the new 71-page document, prepared by the National Counter Terrorism Authority – an autonomous government body responsible for intelligence gathering, threat assessments, and counterterrorism strategies – is different, said Dayyab Gillani, NACTA’s director of research and development.
The key shift, according to him, is that the new policy promotes a “whole-of-society” strategy to prevent “violent extremism”, including using “non-kinetic” means. In military terminology, kinetic measures refer to armed force.“The so-called war on terror has taught us that military operations alone are not a sustainable strategy. Kinetic successes are only temporary, as they fail to eliminate terrorism at its roots,” Gillani told Al Jazeera during a recent interview in Islamabad. “The causes and drivers of terrorism were never removed, which is why terrorism has resurfaced repeatedly, despite short-term gains.”
What does the NPVE Policy say?
Gillani, who joined NACTA two years ago, said work on the NPVE originally began in 2019, but political instability delayed its completion until 2024. The policy was approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet in December.
The policy presents a “5-R” approach – Revisit, Reach Out, Reduce, Reinforce, and Reintegrate – with a series of 700 corporate-style key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure effectiveness in the short, medium and long term.
The first policy action, “Revisit”, focuses on reforming the curriculum and engaging youth and influencers like teachers and religious leaders. “Reach Out” aims to promote a national narrative through media and by countering hardline narratives on social media.“We live in the age of social media, which has become a major tool for radicalisation,” Gillani said. “This necessitates a revamped communication strategy.”“We must foster a culture of tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion, where people respect social, political, and religious differences without resorting to violence,” he added.“Reduce” targets youth and women through peace initiatives and research on women’s roles in armed rebellion. “Reinforce” seeks to promote peace and tolerance through arts, culture, and scientific innovation.
The final policy action, “Reintegrate”, involves de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reconciliation programmes for former fighters and conflict-affected communities.“A state’s fundamental responsibility towards its citizens is to provide care for them. Non-kinetic measures, which are empathetic in nature and approach, is what the government needs to focus on in order to counter extremism,” Gillani said.
Military operations and old policies
Pakistan has faced two decades of armed violence and has launched multiple military operations to combat armed groups.
Following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent United States invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan became a refuge for Taliban leaders and al-Qaeda members fleeing Afghanistan.
After the TTP gained ground in Pakistan, the army launched several campaigns to eradicate them and regain control of the territory. However, it was not until the 2014 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, in which more than 140 children were killed, that the government formulated a National Action Plan (NAP) – one of its first formal frameworks to counter armed rebellion. Similar policies have since been launched and updated.
But Gillani argued that these previous policies were “reactive” and primarily focused on kinetic measures, making the NPVE’s preventive and community-based approach unique.“Community engagement is critical to success. Kinetic measures leave lasting scars on communities that have suffered violence,” he said. “That’s why we emphasise prevention.”
Policy implementation challenges
But while analysts acknowledge that the NPVE strikes a balance between military and non-military strategies — at least on paper — they warn that the policy’s ambitious scope poses implementation challenges.“Pakistan has a history of well-intentioned policies failing due to poor implementation. The success of this policy depends on whether the state ensures its proper execution,” said Abdul Basit, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Similar concerns were raised by Iftikhar Firdous, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a platform tracking regional security.“This policy acknowledges that intellectual capital is as crucial as military action, as ideologies are often more influential than weapons. However, the policy’s implementation framework lacks the rigour required to achieve its objectives,” said Firdous, who is based in Peshawar.
At the heart of those implementation challenges is a central question: Who gets to execute the policy?
Civilian vs military control
Although NACTA is a civilian institution, Pakistan’s security policies have historically been dominated by its powerful military, which has ruled the country directly for more than three decades and continues to wield significant influence even over civilian governments.“At a time when the military’s rapid influence in almost all aspects of society is visible, NACTA is no exception, so when a non-militarised framework to deal with violent extremism is carried out by the military, who can guarantee its success?” Basit, the Singapore-based academic, said.
Firdous concurred that military oversight over the policy would raise concerns.“How can NACTA operate effectively if it is perceived to be encroaching on the jurisdiction of other law enforcement agencies? Can a civilian-led NACTA be accepted in a system dominated by the military? These are crucial questions that need to be answered for consensus building and for implementing the policy,” he added.
Rohan Gunaratna, a professor of security studies at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, argued that the new policy also suffers from another flaw.
It is crucial for Pakistan to develop “tailored policy options” that cater to the specific needs of each group of the society, he said.“While the NPVE Policy can serve as a comprehensive guideline, it requires region-specific models to address the unique challenges faced by different groups and regions,” Gunaratna told Al Jazeera. “A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.” India
US imposes new sanctions on Chinese and Indian firms to ‘target Iran’s oil supply chain’ (The Independent)
The Independent [2/25/2025 1:49 AM, Maroosha Muzaffar, 44.8M]
The US imposed sanctions on Monday targeting dozens of individuals and oil tankers across China, the UAE, India, and other regions for allegedly financing Iran and its support for militant groups that attack the US and its allies.
The sanctions, issued by the US Treasury and State Departments, include more than 30 individuals and vessels involved in brokering and transporting Iranian oil.
Among those sanctioned are oil brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong, tanker operators and managers in India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company, and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company, whose operations help finance Iran’s “destabilising activities”, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The vessels sanctioned on Monday are responsible for shipping tens of millions of barrels of crude oil valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the US said.“Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels, shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilising activities,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.“The United States will use all our available tools to target all aspects of Iran’s oil supply chain, and anyone who deals in Iranian oil exposes themselves to significant sanctions risk.”
Oil is a key revenue source for Iran, and restricting its exports aims to cut off funding for the country’s nuclear and missile programs. The sanctions bar US individuals and entities from conducting business with the designated targets and freeze any assets held in the US.
The latest sanctions mark the second round of sanctions on Iranian oil sales since former president Donald Trump issued the National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which seeks to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
When the memo was signed in February, Mr Trump said from the Oval Office, “hopefully we’re not going to have to use it very much”.“We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran,” the president said.“We don’t want to be tough on Iran. We don’t want to be tough on anybody,” Mr Trump added. “But they just can’t have a nuclear bomb.”
Mr Trump had accused former president Joe Biden of not strictly enforcing oil-export sanctions. Despite US sanctions, Iran earned $53bn from oil exports in 2023 and $54bn in 2022. In 2024, Iran’s oil production reached its highest level since 2018, according to OPEC data.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that “as long as Iran devotes its energy revenues to financing attacks on our allies, supporting terrorism around the world, or pursuing other destabilising actions, we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable”.
China does not recognize US sanctions and Chinese firms buy the most Iranian oil. China and Iran have built a trading system that uses mostly Chinese yuan and a network of middlemen, avoiding the dollar and exposure to US regulators. India is yet to comment on the sanctions. Fourth flight of illegal immigrants deported from US lands in India (The Independent)
The Independent [2/24/2025 7:23 AM, Maroosha Muzaffar, 129344K]
The US has deported a fourth batch of illegal Indian immigrants, with 12 people arriving in Delhi via Panama, days after prime minister Narendra Modi met president Donald Trump in Washington.
The 12 Indians are believed to be among the 299 illegal migrants deported by the US to Panama a few days ago.
Of the 12, four deportees from Punjab reached Amritsar on Sunday, officials said. Amritsar’s deputy commissioner, Sakshi Sawhney, confirmed their arrival, saying they were from Gurdaspur, Patiala, and Jalandhar districts.
The US has deported over 300 illegal migrants to India this month as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, in keeping with a key campaign promise.
The first deportation flight with 104 people, handcuffed and shackled, arrived in the northern state of Punjab on 5 February. Two more flights landed in the middle of the month.
Facing criticism over the treatment meted out by American authorities to the deportees, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi had been engaging with Washington to ensure they were treated fairly. He said the deportation of illegal immigrants was not a new phenomenon and had been ongoing for years.
Illegal immigrants make up three per cent of the US population and 22 per cent of the foreign-born population. The exact number of undocumented Indians in the US was disputed due to varying calculation methods. Estimates for 2022 range from 700,000, according to the Pew Research Center and Center for Migration Studies of New York, making Indians the third-largest undocumented group, to 375,000 according to the Migration Policy Institute, ranking them fifth.
The Department of Homeland Security data from 2022 reports 220,000 unauthorised Indians in the country.
Between 2009 and 2024, the US deported some 16,000 Indians, according to the foreign ministry. Annual deportations averaged 750 under Barack Obama, 1,550 during Mr Trump’s first term and 900 under Joe Biden.
Deportations surged between 2023 and 2024, but the highest number was in 2020, with nearly 2,300 migrants sent back to the country.
Mr Modi previously said India would repatriate its citizens who were in the US illegally and take action against the "human trafficking ecosystem".
"These are children of very ordinary families, and they are lured by big dreams and promises," he said during his visit to Washington.
The deportations have sparked a political storm in India, with the opposition Congress party criticising the ruling Modi government for remaining silent while Indians are "humiliated".
"Modi government must come out with a detailed statement on the deportation and why did we not send our own planes to bring back the Indians, with dignity and respect, instead of a military plane landing on our soil," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said earlier in a post on X. Musk’s ‘Doge’ claim about USAid funds for India sets off political firestorm (The Guardian)
The Guardian [2/24/2025 8:27 AM, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, 82995K]
Elon Musk’s "department of government efficiency" has been accused of setting off a political firestorm in India after it claimed that the US government had been sending millions of dollars to support the Indian elections.
In a list published on Musk’s social media platform X last week, Doge, a special group that Donald Trump created, claimed that a $21m grant distributed by USAid – the US agency for international development – to help "voter turnout in India" had been cancelled, as part of the president’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid.
However, records accessed by the Indian Express newspaper have found that no such funds were ever distributed in India and USAid staff have also denied the existence of such a programme.
Instead, documents show that USAid had allocated $21m for a non-profit promoting political engagement in neighbouring Bangladesh, amid a draconian crackdown on the political opposition in the country.
Nonetheless, the claim was seized upon with gusto by Trump, as he sought to discredit USAid and its global development programmes and justify gutting the agency. Musk too has boasted that Doge is "feeding USAid into the wood chipper".
Speaking at an event in Miami, Trump told the crowds: "What do we need to spend $21m for voter turnout in India for? Wow, $21m. I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.".
The next day he repeated the allegation at another event, stating that $21m was "going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout". He brought it up again on Sunday, as he addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference, this time claiming the figure was "$18m for helping India with its elections" and calling it a "kickback scheme". "They take advantage of us pretty good," he added.
Trump’s misleading tirade came less than a week after the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, travelled to Washington to meet the new president. Trump called Modi a "great leader" and Modi called Trump a "friend".
Trump’s USAid claims had a seismic impact in India. Modi’s governing rightwing Bharatiya Janata party has long accused international civil society and human rights groups of trying to undermine it, forcing some of the world’s most respected organisations – from Amnesty International to Greenpeace – to shut down their operations in India.
Several BJP leaders and ministers said Trump’s allegations were proof that international actors were trying to work against the BJP government and interfere in the country’s affairs. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, said that Trump "has confirmed that there was indeed an attempt to influence the Indian election and install someone other than Prime Minister Modi".
India’s vice-president, Jagdeep Dhankhar, said he was "shocked … the democratic process of this country was sought to be manipulated to dent the purity of our electoral system", while Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Modi’s economic advisory council, called USAid the "biggest scam in human history".
The foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, called the claims "concerning" and the department’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, told a weekly news briefing they were "deeply troubling".
The controversy also stirred up concern among some in India’s beleaguered civil society, who said they feared that the allegations against USAid would be used to justify a further crackdown on their funding and operations by the BJP government.
In response, India’s opposition Congress party accused the BJP of spreading "fake news from America" while remaining silent as Trump and Musk insulted India.
"Elon Musk made a fake claim, Trump got confused between Dhaka and Delhi," said Congress’s spokesperson, Jairam Ramesh. "The BJP should just answer this: Why did the BJP spread fake news about India’s democracy?". Hopes Fade for Workers Trapped for Days in Tunnel in India (New York Times)
New York Times [2/24/2025 4:14 PM, Ali Watkins, 831K]
Indian officials have warned that the chances of survival for eight people believed to have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel for several days are remote, after a rush of silt and water caused the ceiling to cave in over the weekend.
The group was working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel project in the southern Indian state of Telangana, a decades-long effort to build one of the world’s longest irrigation tunnels, which has been plagued by a series of delays since construction began in 2005.
The workers were about nine miles inside the tunnel on Saturday morning when the roof collapsed after a rush of silt and water, according to local officials and news reports. Some escaped, but eight were left trapped behind a tunnel-boring machine that blocked their exit.“Water gushed in and the roof caved in,” Manoj Gaur, the chairman of Jaiprakash Associates, the Indian construction company that is co-managing the project, said in an interview. “The tunnel is a big tunnel with a diameter of more than 10 meters. Imagine most of that height being filled with water, stone and mud.”
Rescuers have not been able to communicate with the workers since the accident, and their conditions were unclear on Monday. Nine agencies, including the Indian Army and Marine Commandos, are working together on rescue efforts.
Among them are members of a team that led a rescue effort in 2023 to save 41 workers after they were trapped for 17 days in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, a northern Indian state. Activists and environmentalists had long warned that the multibillion-dollar road-widening project would destabilize the mountainous territory, and said it ultimately caused a landslide that led to the disaster.
Jupally Krishna Rao, a Telangana state minister who was helping to oversee the rescue efforts, said the odds were dwindling that the victims in this weekend’s tunnel collapse would be found alive.“I can’t predict the chances of survival, but the chances are not very good,” Mr. Krishna Rao told Indian news outlets. “But even if there is the slightest chance, we will try to save them.”
By Monday morning, rescuers were reported to have reached the tunnel boring machine blocking the area. But their efforts were hampered by severe debris and silt buildup, which in some places was reportedly six to seven feet high. India, Britain step up trade talks amid Trump tariff threats (Reuters)
Reuters [2/24/2025 9:07 AM, Manoj Kumar and Shivangi Acharya, 129344K]
India and Britain will aim to more than double bilateral trade in a decade, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday, as the two countries resumed trade talks under the shadow of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The countries would speed up talks on a proposed trade deal, including a free trade pact and an investment treaty, Goyal said at a joint press conference with Britain’s Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds.
The ministers did not respond directly to questions about whether their talks were impacted by Trump’s orders to raise tariffs and take other measures to counteract what he sees as barriers to American goods.
Their joint statement said the resumption of trade talks had come out of discussions between their prime ministers on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November - an event which took place in the run-up to Trump’s inauguration.
"This will be a path-breaking free trade agreement," Goyal said, adding it could boost merchandise trade with Britain two to three times within a decade, without giving a detailed timeline.
Bilateral trade in goods and services between India and Britain, currently the world’s fifth and sixth-largest economies respectively, touched £41 billion ($52 billion) in the 12 months through September 2024, British government estimates show.
Trade talks were paused in March last year ahead of elections in both countries.
After years of delays, India signed trade agreements with several countries including the UAE and Australia in 2022, and a pact last year with the European Free Trade Association - a group made up of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Earlier this month, India slashed tariffs on bourbon whisky to 100% from 150% after Trump’s criticised "unfair" levies in the South Asian market.
STICKING POINTS
Key hurdles include India’s steep import duty on British whisky and its demand to make it easier for Indian firms and professionals to get visas to work in Britain.
"There are always sensitivities in trade negotiations that you have to respect," Reynolds said, citing India’s concerns over Britain’s demands for India to lower agricultural tariffs and open its market for dairy products.
Rejecting some media reports, Goyal said immigration would not be a part of any discussions under the trade pact.
Reynolds said his government was dealing with immigration as a separate issue outside the trade talks.
The India-UK trade discussions are the first since the Labour Party came to power in Britain in July last year. Reynolds said securing a deal is a "top priority" for his government.
Britain’s Investment Minister, Poppy Gustafsson, is also expected to meet investors in the financial capital Mumbai and IT hub Bengaluru to urge Indian businesses to invest.
Both countries would also discuss a separate treaty on social security, besides trade and investment pact, Goyal said. UK and India relaunch free trade talks after year-long pause (The Independent)
The Independent [2/25/2025 4:30 AM, Maroosha Muzaffar, 44.8M]
India and the UK have resumed talks to strike a free trade deal after a year-long pause due to elections in both countries.
UK trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds met Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi to restart discussions on a “balanced, ambitious and mutually beneficial” deal.
The talks have been going on since 2022, but an agreement is yet to be reached despite over a dozen negotiation rounds.
The UK is seeking to boost economic growth by expanding access to India’s rapidly growing economy, expected to be the world’s third largest by 2028. Investment minister Poppy Gustafsson will lead efforts to attract investment in Mumbai and Bengaluru, a statement by the Department for Business and Trade said.“Securing a trade deal with what’s soon-to-be the third biggest economy in the world is a no-brainer and a top priority for me and this government. That is why I’m flying to New Delhi with our top negotiating team to show our commitment to getting these talks back on track,” Mr Reynolds said prior to his two-day meeting with Mr Goyal.“Only a pragmatic government can deliver the economic growth and stability that the British public and British businesses deserve, delivering on the Plan for Change. Growth will be the guiding principle in our trade negotiations with India and I’m excited about the opportunities on offer in this vibrant market.”
India has been Britain’s second-largest source of FDI by project numbers for five years, with a 28 per cent rise in investment stock in 2023. The trade relationship between the two countries is valued at £41bn, supporting over 600,000 jobs.
Mr Reynolds and Mr Goyal addressed a joint press conference after their meeting, but neither provided a timeline for concluding the talks. Previous deadlines set by former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss had lapsed without a deal being finalised.
Mr Goyal defended India’s tariff policy, citing the need to protect against unfair trade practices, but acknowledged that India and the UK could lower tariffs for competitiveness. He also advocated for a more liberal visa regime for businesses while stressing that India had never included immigration in FTA talks.
Key sticking points in the talks include the UK’s push for greater access to India’s telecom, legal and financial sectors as well as India’s desire for a more liberal migration policy for its skilled workers. Other contentious issues involve UK demands for lower tariffs on whiskey and automobiles as well as rules on origin and intellectual property rights.“We are delighted to note the progress on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations,” Richard Heald, chair of the UK India Business Council, said in a statement ahead of the ministerial meeting. “Success in the FTA will support further economic growth for the world’s 5th and 6th largest economies. It will catalyse collaboration beyond into other areas too. Importantly, it will signal the UK and India are strategic partners. This is truly an exciting chapter of the UK-India partnership.” Setbacks for Adani cast shadow on India’s soft power (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [2/24/2025 9:37 PM, Sayan Chakraborty and Marwaan Macan-Markar, 1191K]
New Delhi’s soft power diplomacy to counter China’s growing clout is facing headwinds, experts say, as Indian conglomerate Adani Group recently suffered a series of setbacks in its global ambitions.Lower middle income countries like Kenya and Sri Lanka have snubbed the conglomerate’s investment proposals running up to $3 billion since November, after the U.S. indicted Gautam Adani, billionaire and chairman of the group, and other group executives on bribery charges. The company is also at loggerheads with the government of Bangladesh over a power supply deal.Adani’s business interests mirror Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of molding his country into an economic powerhouse, which requires upgrading the country’s infrastructure, including roads, railways and logistics networks. Not only did Adani emerge as a key enabler of India’s infrastructure makeover over the past decade, his conglomerate is setting up bases in locations that are important to India’s geopolitics.The Adani Group operates a port in Israel, a key defense exporter to India, and is building one in Sri Lanka, where China has already made significant investments in ports and committed $3.7 billion for an oil refinery. The group also operates a container terminal in Tanzania while the Indian government strives to gain influence on the African continent."The conglomerate is crucial to the diplomatic strategy as it is one of the few Indian companies that has the competencies and experience needed for critical infrastructure and energy projects," said Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at the Fletcher School of Tufts University in the U.S. "And the company leadership sees eye to eye with India’s political leadership."The conglomerate has been alleged to have benefitted from its close ties with New Delhi. Its tryst with Sri Lanka is a case in point.On Feb. 14, Adani Group said it would pull out of wind power projects in Sri Lanka that entailed investments of about $440 million. That followed the newly elected Sri Lankan government’s decision to review tariffs, in line with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s campaign promise to reexamine power sector deals and renegotiate contracts.In June 2022, three months after the Ceylon Electricity Board, a government-owned electricity company, inked the deal with Adani Group, M.M.C. Ferdinando, chairman of CEB, told a parliamentary committee on public enterprises that the Sri Lankan government faced pressure from India to grant tenders for renewable projects to Adani Group.Ali Sabry, a former foreign minister who was in office when the deal was signed, had called it a "government-to-government agreement."Last week, Dissanayake called out Adani’s high tariff, saying "offering a project for $0.08 [per unit] cannot be justified.""Adani’s decision to withdraw is a boon for National People’s Power (the ruling political alliance) locally, since it did not cancel the deal and it can now put this project up for tender," said Murtaza Jaffeerjee, chairman of Advocata Institute, a Colombo-based policy think tank. "Sri Lankan consumers will be better served with green energy if there is competitive bidding."Chakravorti of the Fletcher School said, "This could slow down some of the soft-power outreach," referring to the conglomerate’s troubles on foreign shores. "But memories will be short if the bid is good and the Modi hug with the head of state is tight enough." Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based think tank, said that Adani running into problems in Sri Lanka and Kenya is "particularly concerning, given that these are two key partners ... and both in regions where it is looking to deepen influence and compete with China."Such setbacks have also raised questions about Adani’s overseas expansion."If Adani’s international expansion in countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are in trouble, what are the chances they can pursue opportunities in Europe and America? Very, very minor," said Nirmalya Kumar, professor of marketing at Singapore Management University. "His global ambitions are definitely constrained."But things could turn dramatically in the conglomerate’s favor with U.S. President Donald Trump halting the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which prohibits Americans from bribing foreign officials to get business.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had used that law in November to charge an executive at renewable energy company Azure Power for joining Adani Group executives in bribing Indian government officials. Adani and his nephew, Sagar, were charged under the Securities Act and Exchange Act.Soon after the indictment, Adani Group called off a nearly $600 million bond sale. French oil major TotalEnergies said it will halt further investments in Adani Group until the consequences of the allegations are clarified, signaling that the conglomerate could struggle to court Western investors.Adani has denied any wrongdoing. He announced after Trump’s election that his conglomerate would invest $10 billion in the U.S. and create 15,000 jobs, without specifying any timeline."If that (the FCPA) gets Adani legal relief, investor interest in his activities could see an even bigger surge," said Kugelman. "It’s a massive empire, and its capital is deployed in fast-growing spaces that everyone wants to be a part of these days, like infrastructure and clean energy." Struggling Tesla looks to Indian market under Trump’s watchful eye (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [2/24/2025 6:03 PM, Azusa Kawakami, 1191K]
As Tesla readies for a possible entry into India’s electric-vehicle market, CEO Elon Musk’s company faces a squeeze between the need to revive growth and pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to invest at home.Tesla started hiring for 13 roles in India, including customer service, in mid-February in what is widely seen as a sign that it is looking to begin sales there.The company is preparing to ship EVs to India, with sales to start in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore around the July-September period, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the plans. Tesla has not commented on the report.On Feb. 13, before Tesla began hiring in India, Musk met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington."We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation," Modi posted on the Musk-owned X social media platform after the meeting.This is not the first time that there has been talk of Tesla planning a move into the South Asian country. Musk met with Modi in the U.S. in June 2023, expressing confidence soon after that the company would be in India as soon as it could.Tesla is expected to import vehicles from China to sell in India, with the possibility of local production later so as to avoid steep Indian tariffs of at least 70% on imported autos. Even if Tesla imports the cheapest EV models it offers in China, they would likely sell for more than $50,000 in India.To encourage investment in factories, India announced in March 2024 tariff breaks on EVs whose manufacturers invest at least $500 million there. But this applies only to limited quantities of luxury cars.India’s EV market appears set to grow. Now the world’s most populous country, it surpassed Japan in 2022 to become the world’s third-largest market in sales of new passenger and commercial vehicles combined.India’s passenger vehicle sales increased 4% on the year to 4.18 million autos in 2024, GlobalData estimates show. EV sales exceeded 100,000 for the first time, reaching and estimated 120,000. EVs now account for about 2% of passenger vehicles, a figure expected to reach roughly 20% by 2030 as middle-class incomes and environmental awareness grow.Suzuki Motor -- owner of Maruti Suzuki India, which controls around 40% of the Indian passenger car market -- will invest a total of 4 trillion yen ($26.7 billion) in EV development and elsewhere by the year ending March 2031 under plans announced Thursday.Daniel Ives, a managing director at Wedbush Securities, said Tesla has been delayed for many years in entering India -- a huge market for the company.Tesla’s own recent struggles have given it more reason to seek fresh growth in India.The automaker’s annual global sales volume shrank for the first time last year. The decline continued in January with a 17% year-on-year drop, according to MarkLines. Consumer boycotts over Musk’s political involvement since joining the Trump administration are seen as a factor.But while Musk has aligned himself with Trump, the president’s goal of increasing investment in the U.S. could end up hindering Tesla’s business.In an interview alongside the Tesla CEO televised by Fox News last week, Trump said it would be "very unfair" to the U.S. if Musk built an Indian factory. Trump has criticized India’s high tariffs and said his administration will impose reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners to ensure that their relationships are "fair." NSB
One dead and several injured in clashes at air force base in Bangladesh (The Independent)
The Independent [2/25/2025 2:49 AM, Shweta Sharma, 44.8M]
One person was killed and several injured after residents in the coastal city of Cox’s Bazar in southern Bangladesh clashed with armed forces on Monday.
The Bangladesh Armed Forces claimed that “local miscreants” attacked the air force base in the city and attempted to set it on fire.
Tensions had been brewing between the residents of Samitipara area and the military over the expansion of the air base and the airport in Cox’s Bazar.
The local people had been protesting against the government’s move to evict some of them from the area and rehabilitate them elsewhere. On Monday, over a dozen people went to meet the district administrator with their demands but were stopped at a military checkpoint as one was without a helmet, local media reported.
A clash ensued, with videos posted on social media showing soldiers firing shots and residents pelting stones. “At that time, more than 200 local people from Samitipara advanced towards the air force base and the air force members barred them. As the number of local people increased, a clash broke out between the air force members and some miscreants from Samitipara,” the Inter Services Public Relations of the Bangladesh Armed Forces said.
Ayesha Siddiqua, a military spokesperson, claimed the clash erupted after a resident was taken inside the air base from a checkpoint for questioning as he did not have the necessary documents for his motorcycle.
The military said they were forced to fire blank rounds, not live ammunition, at the civilians after violence ensued and several of their personnel were injured.
A man identified as Shihab Kabir Nahid was injured in the clashes and died on his way to hospital. The military denied that he was injured in firing by soldiers.“Analysing the pictures of the cartridge that have been circulated proves that it was a blank cartridge which is non-lethal and only produces sound,” the military said. “Bangladesh Air Force expresses deep condolence over the death of the youth and sympathises with his family members.”
Cox’s Bazar has been in international headlines for over a decade for giving refuge to over a million Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in the neighbouring nation of Myanmar.
Bangladesh, run by an interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, has faced challenges in establishing order since the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August by a street agitation led by students. Mob violence in particular has become a pressing concern.
On Monday, the Manusher Jonno Foundation, a rights group in Dhaka, expressed deep concern over the decline in law and order in the country, citing an increase in gender-based violence, harassment and restrictions on women’s mobility. China woos Bangladesh with Beijing invitation (BBC)
BBC [2/24/2025 11:04 PM, Ethirajan Anbarasan, 69901K]
A 22-member Bangladeshi delegation of political leaders, civil society activists, academics and journalists have begun a 10-day visit to China.
They will be having talks with Chinese government officials and senior members of the ruling Communist Party, a delegation leader confirmed with the BBC.
Analysts say China is making overtures while diplomatic tensions have risen between Bangladesh and India on a range of issues.
This includes ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina living in exile in India. Dhaka has requested her extradition but Delhi has refused.
Abdul Moyeen Khan, a senior official from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who’s leading the delegation in Beijing, told the BBC: "It’s basically a goodwill visit, initiated by Beijing.".
"It is unique because China this time has invited a team representing various groups in Bangladesh.".
Many of the delegation members are from the BNP and its allies. The BNP, headed by former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, is one of the main parties in Bangladesh, besides the Awami League led by Hasina.
The delegation also includes several representatives from the student movement that began the mass uprising against Hasina that eventually ousted the prime minister in August last year.
An interim government, led by the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is currently in charge.
It has been urging India to repatriate Hasina to face charges of crimes against humanity and money laundering, among other allegations. The UN says Hasina’s government’s crackdown on protesters during the uprising killed about 1,400 people.
So far India has showed no sign of extraditing Hasina, who denies the charges.
Delhi and Dhaka had maintained close ties during the 15-year rule of Ms Hasina, who was widely seen by her critics as pro-India. While maintaining close ties with Delhi, she balanced it with her relationship with Beijing.
After the fall of Hasina, Beijing has stepped up its interaction with Bangladeshi leaders, activists and delegations, including from Islamist parties.
This week’s visit follows a meeting between the Bangladesh interim government’s foreign policy advisor Touhid Hossain and the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing in January.
It also marks the second time BNP officials have visited China in recent months, after Beijing hosted a BNP delegation late last year.
With the political vacuum and absence of India’s influence, analysts say, Beijing is trying to increase its foothold in Bangladesh, a country of about 170 million people.
China is Bangladesh’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade amounting to around $24bn (£19bn) - the vast majority of that consists of Chinese exports to the South Asian country.
The Bangladeshi military also heavily relies on Chinese equipment and ammunition with more than 70% of supplies coming from China.
Compared to Beijing’s overtures, India has had very limited interactions with the interim government and other Bangladeshi political leaders in the past six months.
The BNP held a protest in December alleging India’s interference in Bangladesh’s internal matters by hosting Hasina. Some advisors of the interim government have also criticised Delhi on the same issue.
This criticism has sparked sharp reaction from Delhi.
The Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said last week, external that it was up to Bangladesh to decide on "what kind of relationship they want with us".
He described the criticism of India by Bangladeshi officials and politicians as "absolutely ridiculous".
Some argue that this increasingly tense rhetoric between Dhaka and Delhi could push Bangladesh towards China.
The latest events indicate that Bangladesh has joined fellow South Asian countries Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal as a target for both Delhi and Beijing, as the superpowers jostle for influence.
"I don’t believe India should consider the whole subcontinent is under Delhi’s sphere of influence. That attitude would make India suffer," Chinese analyst Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, told the BBC. Nepal Says Seven More U.S.-Funded Projects Paused After Trump Order (Reuters)
Reuters [2/24/2025 8:12 AM, Gopal Sharma, 30936K]
Nepal said on Monday seven more projects funded by the United States have been put on hold after President Donald Trump suspended foreign development assistance.President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause in US foreign development assistance on the day he returned to the White House, pending assessments of efficiency and consistency with U.S. foreign policy.The Ministry of Finance said projects in the field of education, health, agriculture and statistics that were funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and were implemented under the government’s budget had been halted for 90 days.Three other projects - concerning strengthening of provincial and local administrations, bio-diversity and climate – that are still being designed have also been put on hold for three months, it said.“Money for the projects that were being designed has not been received as the agreement for these programmes has not been signed yet,” a ministry statement said.It did not give details of the funds for these projects.Last week, the government said two major infrastructure projects funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, for the construction of a power transmission line and road improvement project had been paused for 90 days following the Trump order.Authorities gave no details about how the cash-strapped nation, among the poorest in the world, would fund these projects if Trump does not resume the aid. Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan put border troubles behind them (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [2/24/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K]
Officials from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have finalized a border delimitation agreement, taking the edge off what had been Central Asia’s sharpest frontier dispute. The agreement is expected to catalyze the expansion of regional trade.
A Kyrgyz government statement February 21 said a bilateral meeting in Bishkek resulted not only in the signing of the border pact, but also agreements covering the development of interstate road transit routes, as well as management of power generation facilities and shared water resources. Discussions between Kyrgyz and Tajik delegations “occurred in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding,” according to the statement.
The two sides first announced in December that they had tentatively reached agreement on the delimitation of their 970-kilometer-long frontier. The settlement marks a rapid diplomatic turnaround. Disputes over arable land and water resources in contested border areas sparked armed clashes between the two countries in 2021 and 2022. As recently as 18 months ago, the two were locked in an arms race, fanning fears of renewed fighting.
Following up on the border pact, Kyrgyz officials announced February 24 that the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will meet in late March, the first trilateral gathering of its kind. “The summit will be an important step in strengthening regional cooperation,” the Kyrgyz news agency AKIpress cited Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov as saying.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz officials have pledged to strengthen controls at border crossings connecting the country with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Currently, five road crossings connecting Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan lack border controls. The Kyrgyz move to bolster those checkpoints is needed to comply with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) requirements that all crossing at the union’s external border maintain a stringent customs regime. Kyrgyzstan is the only one of the three states that is a full member of the EAEU.“Authorities have noted that in the absence of traffic control at certain checkpoints, trucks have been violating international road transport agreements,” according to a report published by the Uzbek news outlet Daryo. “The proposed expansion of monitoring aims to improve compliance with interstate regulations and enhance border security.” Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to hold trilateral summit (Amu TV)
Amu TV [2/25/2025 4:23 AM, Siyar Sirat]
The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will meet for the first-ever trilateral summit on March 31 in the Tajik city of Khujand, marking a significant step toward regional cooperation, Tajik media reported.
The announcement was made by Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov during the 58th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Baisalov described the summit as a “historic victory of diplomacy and political will,” emphasizing the resolution of the long-standing Kyrgyz-Tajik border dispute. He credited Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov’s commitment to peace and stability as a key factor in reaching the final border agreement.
Focus on regional cooperation
The summit will center on strengthening regional ties and addressing key issues such as security, economic development, and infrastructure. Among the agreements set to be signed are deals on state borders, energy cooperation, water resource management, and the construction of new roads.
This meeting follows the February 21 signing of the final protocol on the delimitation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, resolving one of the region’s most contentious territorial disputes.
With this agreement, Kyrgyzstan has now settled all outstanding border issues with its neighbors, having previously reached agreements with China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan’s trade relations with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Uzbekistan’s trade with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has fluctuated in recent years. In January 2025, trade turnover with Kyrgyzstan stood at $48.9 million, slightly up from $46.4 million in 2024 but down from $61.7 million in 2023. Exports to Kyrgyzstan totaled $24.8 million, a decline from $26.8 million in 2024 and $43.4 million in 2023, while imports rose to $24.2 million, compared to $19.6 million in 2024 and $18.3 million in 2023.
Trade between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan reached $35.2 million in January 2025, down from $37.9 million in 2024 and $38.8 million in 2023. Exports fell to $30.2 million from $32.6 million in 2024 and $33.5 million in 2023, while imports slightly declined to $5 million from $5.3 million in both 2024 and 2023.
Overall, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover in January 2025 totaled $4.5 billion, a 7.1% increase from the same month in 2024. Exports rose 14.1% to $1.3 billion, while imports increased 4.4% to $3.19 billion, contributing to a $1.89 billion trade deficit as the country continues to rely on imports to meet domestic demand. Turkey wants gas supply deal extension with Turkmenistan, minister tells Hurriyet (Reuters)
Reuters [2/25/2025 2:15 AM, Can Sezer, 5.2M]
Turkey is negotiating an agreement with Turkmenistan to extend a natural gas supply deal for five years, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told the Hurriyet daily on Tuesday, noting that the deal is expected to be finalised within the year.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz are scheduled to meet officials from Turkmenistan in Ankara later in the day.
Earlier this month, Bayraktar said that Turkey and Turkmenistan had signed a deal for the supply of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey. The agreement, between Turkey’s state-owned pipeline operator BOTAS and Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz, is set to begin on March 1, with gas flows of 1.3 billion cubic meters via Iran.
"We want to do this long-term. We have a long-term goal of a swap agreement. We are working on a programme that will likely extend to a five-year swap agreement within this year," Hurriyet quoted Bayraktar as saying.
Turkey consumes more than 50 billion cubic metres of gas every year, and relies on a mix of piped gas from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, along with liquefied natural gas imports from various suppliers.
Bayraktar said that Turkey aimed to sign a licence for oil and gas exploration in Somali land blocks on March 1. Turkey is conducting exploration off Somalia as part of an agreement with its East African ally. Twitter
Afghanistan
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/24/2025 3:34 PM, 247.7K followers, 324 retweets, 667 likes]
Taliban’s Afghanistan is the only country in the 21st century where educating girls is a crime. For 1,256 days, Afghan girls have been banned from education simply because they are female.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/21/2025 12:47 PM, 247.7K followers, 45 retweets, 299 likes] Afghanistan’s anti-Taliban resistance groups, the NRF and AFF, have claimed responsibility for two attacks on the Taliban in Kapisa and Balkh provinces, killing four Taliban members, including their commander.
Lina Rozbih@LinaRozbih
[2/24/2025 4:05 PM, 426.4K followers, 10 retweets, 37 likes]
The Taliban’s prohibition of music in Afghanistan is a deliberate effort to suppress cultural expression and impose their own ideological identity on the nation. Great job @AISS_Afg What better way to discuss Afghan politics than by infusing it with Afghanistan’s rich heritage and music. This will educate foreign participants about Afghanistan’s rich history and culture. This portrays our civility and lack of relevance to the Taliban!
Lina Rozbih@LinaRozbih
[2/24/2025 12:10 PM, 426.4K followers, 1 retweet, 5 likes]
The Taliban Interior Ministery confirmed to AFP that they have detained two Britons, a Chinese-American and their Afghan translator in Bamyan.
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[2/25/2025 1:28 AM, 5.5K followers, 9 retweets, 9 likes]
Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur, says the ICC’s request for arrest warrants against Taliban leaders gives hope to Afghan women fighting for their rights. He calls the situation of women in Afghanistan “incomparable” to any other country. The world must act! #Afghanistan
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[2/25/2025 1:23 AM, 5.5K followers, 22 retweets, 41 likes]
Wazir Khan human rights activist, has been arrested by the Taliban intelligence & taken to an unknown location. This enforced disappearance is a crime! He fought for human rights & girls’ education in Afghanistan—that’s why he was arrested. #FreeWazirKhanHemat #RasieYourVoice Pakistan
Javlon Vakhabov@JavlonVakhabov
[2/24/2025 10:07 PM, 6.2K followers, 1 retweet, 4 likes]
PM Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) of Pakistan is arriving in Uzbekistan for an official visit.
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/24/2025 11:59 AM, 21.1M followers, 9.8K retweets, 16K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special instructions for overseas Pakistanis: “Print out my letter addressed to the Army Chief General Asim Munir, and post the printed copies to:
1) GHQ, Rawalpindi
2) Relevant Embassies in your cities”
Hamid Mir@HamidMirPAK
[2/24/2025 7:54 AM, 8.6M followers, 202 retweets, 1.5K likes]
A very good news for the economy of Pakistan. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev @presidentaz announced to invest $2 billion dollars in Pakistan during a joint press conference with Prime Minister @CMShehbaz
Hamid Mir@HamidMirPAK
[2/24/2025 5:51 AM, 8.6M followers, 53 retweets, 269 likes]
Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan disapproved and condemned PECA Amendment Act 2025 and demanded to repeal this law because this law is not only a violation of the constitution of Pakistan but also violates International Charter of Human Rights. #PECA2025Rejected India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/25/2025 1:35 AM, 105.5M followers, 902 retweets, 3.2K likes]
Speaking at the Advantage Assam Summit. The state’s dynamic workforce and rapid growth are driving its transformation into a leading investment destination.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/24/2025 11:37 PM, 105.5M followers, 3.2K retweets, 19K likes]
Yesterday’s Jhumoir Binandini programme was phenomenal. It was a vibrant display of Assam’s culture, especially of the great tea tribes. Looking forward to taking part in the Advantage Assam Summit later today…
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/24/2025 11:59 AM, 105.5M followers, 4.2K retweets, 26K likes]
Went to the exhibitions of Advantage Assam, showcasing the wide range of investment opportunities in the state. Here are some glimpses.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/24/2025 10:24 AM, 105.5M followers, 4.9K retweets, 24K likes]
Earlier in the evening, reached Guwahati to a welcome which I will always remember and cherish. From Guwahati airport to Sarusajai Stadium, there were people showering their blessings. I cherish this affection and will keep working for Assam’s progress.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/24/2025 10:15 AM, 105.5M followers, 7.1K retweets, 43K likes]
I call upon people across India to know more about Jhumoir and the exceptional culture of the tea tribes. Today’s programme will be remembered as a monumental effort in this direction.Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/24/2025 10:09 AM, 105.5M followers, 6.4K retweets, 36K likes]
Every moment of Jhumoir Binandini was pure magic! This was an experience that touched the soul. As we celebrate 200 years of Assam Tea, this programme beautifully merges history, culture and emotion. The culture of the tea tribes, their spirit and their deep connection to the land—it all came alive today. I compliment all the artists who took part in this programme. I bow to the culture and traditions of Assam!
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/24/2025 10:51 AM, 3.3M followers, 80 retweets, 303 likes]
Addressed the 58th Session of @UN_HRC in Geneva virtually.
Underlined that:- India brings its pluralistic and progressive ethos to its engagements within the Council, fostering dialogue and understanding.- At home, millions have been lifted out of poverty and inclusion remains the cornerstone of progress.- We have played an active role in global promotion and protection of human rights. Our approach is centered on building capacity and strengthening human resources.- Multilateralism is more essential than ever, but must reflect contemporary realities. NSB
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/25/2025 2:18 AM, 112.2K followers, 33 retweets, 33 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu meets with the residents of Dh. Rin’budhoo, emphasising the Government’s unwavering commitment to addressing their concerns and improving their quality of life. #RayyithunGaathah #DhaaluVisit
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/25/2025 1:57 AM, 112.2K followers, 36 retweets, 37 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu meets with the Dh. Rin’budhoo Island Council, Women’s Development Committee (WDC), and Heads of Institutions. The meeting focused on the island’s ongoing development projects and key community challenges. #RayyithunGaathah #DhaaluVisit
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/25/2025 1:55 AM, 112.2K followers, 38 retweets, 37 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Council Secretariat building on Dh. Rin’budhoo. This initiative demonstrates the Administration’s dedication to improving service delivery, reflecting a resolute commitment to supporting and enhancing public services. #RayyithunGaathah #DhaaluVisit
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/25/2025 1:25 AM, 112.2K followers, 42 retweets, 43 likes] President Dr @MMuizzu inaugurates the newly established @bankofmaldives ATM service on Dh. Rin’budhoo. In this year’s Presidential Address, he reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to enhancing essential services, including ensuring accessible banking across all inhabited islands. The new ATM aligns with this vision, improving financial connectivity and convenience for all Maldivians. #RayyithunGaathah #DhaaluVisit
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/25/2025 1:18 AM, 112.2K followers, 51 retweets, 54 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu visits Dh. Uhdhoo, following last night’s ceremony, to officially designate it as a picnic island. During last night’s ceremony, an agreement was exchanged between the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare and the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works to formalise the designation. The picnic island aims to provide a dedicated recreational space where families and communities can gather, relax, and enjoy leisure activities. #RayyithunGaathah #DhaaluVisit
Mohamed Nasheed@MohamedNasheed
[2/25/2025 3:12 AM, 274.1K followers, 5 retweets, 10 likes]
I’m very proud of Maldives for voting with Ukraine at the UN yesterday. It was curious to see the United States align itself with Russia and North Korea. I’m glad Maldives found the courage and foresight to vote with the European countries and plain common sense.
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/24/2025 2:57 PM, 33.8K followers, 9 retweets, 5 likes]
It was good to meet with @UN_HRC President, Ambassador Jürg Lauber on the sidelines of #HRC58. We are confident that under his able leadership, we can work together to advance the promotion and protection of human rights. #Maldives reaffirms its commitment to enhancing gender equality, empowering youth, addressing climate change and environmental challenges, and promoting greater inclusivity within the Human Rights Council. #MDVatHRC58
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/24/2025 9:44 AM, 33.8K followers, 22 retweets, 26 likes]
Human rights and the environment are deeply interconnected. A clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is essential for the promotion and protection of human rights. I was honoured to reinforce this message forward at Maldives side event on advancing the universal human right to a clean, healthy & sustainable environment. Together with our core group—#CostaRica, #Switzerland, #Slovenia, and #Morocco— the Maldives is strengthening efforts to advance the implementation and global recognition of the right to a healthy environment #R2HE #MDVatHRC58
Abdulla Khaleel@abkhaleel
[2/24/2025 9:43 AM, 33.8K followers, 23 retweets, 35 likes]
Honoured to deliver the Maldives national statement at the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council. The Maldives remains deeply committed to human rights, upholding fundamental freedoms, and ensuring all voices are heard, especially from underrepresented countries. From gender equality to disability inclusion and environmental sustainability, we are focused on driving human rights progress both on the national and global stage. We take pride in our efforts to realise the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment as a universal human right; committed to its effective implementation, we will work closely with our core group member states to further mainstream this right #MDVatHRC58
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 10:05 AM, 262.1K followers, 4 retweets, 31 likes]
Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba addressed High-level Segment of 58th session of Human Rights Council in Geneva today. In her address, she highlighted Nepal’s unwavering commitment to protect and promote human rights.@Arzuranadeuba
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 10:05 AM, 262.1K followers]
She stated that Nepal has been constructively engaging with the human rights instruments and mechanisms. She also underlined the commitment of the Government of Nepal to strengthening democratic values, preserving rule of law, and independence of judiciary.
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 10:05 AM, 262.1K followers]
She requested the UN Member States to support Nepal’s candidature for membership of the Council for the term 2027-29.
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 6:51 AM, 262.1K followers, 7 retweets, 26 likes]
Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Edil Baisalov, Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan on the sidelines of the 58th regular session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva today. @Arzuranadeuba
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 6:51 AM, 262.1K followers, 1 like]
Matters related to further strengthening the bilateral relations and cooperation including mountain issues were discussed in the meeting.
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[2/24/2025 6:49 AM, 262.1K followers, 6 retweets, 27 likes]
The Ministry organized today a region specific interaction program on export promotion in hybrid format. Nepali Missions in the West Asia and Africa region and Federation of Export Enterpreneurs of Nepal participated in the program. @amritrai555
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[2/25/2025 3:04 AM, 145.9K followers, 13 likes]
I met with the Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, @Dewi_G_Tobing, today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat. We discussed strengthening the 70-year friendship between our countries, enhancing trade relations and expanding cultural ties. Grateful for Indonesia’s support in Sri Lanka’s "Clean Sri Lanka" programme. Central Asia
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/24/2025 10:52 AM, 212.6K followers, 16 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals for improving and digitalizing the customs system. Plans include implementing a pre-arrival information system for bus passengers to streamline border crossings and piloting a “red” and “green” corridor system for vehicles at key checkpoints. Emphasis was placed on AI-driven customs surveillance, risk analysis, and automated X-ray inspections.{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.