New Delhi, Nov 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan is using “threats, abuse, detention and coercion” to throw out Afghan refugees as the deadline for them to voluntarily leave the country expired on November 1. Alarmed with plight of these Afghans being sent to ill-prepared Afghanistan which is tackling earthquake-devastated internal refugees, Pakistani politicians and activists like Farhatullah Babar, Imaan Zainab Mazari and Jibran Nasir have moved Supreme Court seeking pause on this “inhuman” expulsion.

The Taliban government on its part said that Pakistan must show “Islamic brotherhood” and “magnanimity” while dealing with Afghan refugees who have been in Pakistan for decades.

Petitioners challenged the caretakers’ mandate to formulate such a policy against “illegal residents and asylum seekers” living in the country for decades. “It is a reversal of Pakistan’s 40-year-old policy,” they said, claiming that no provision of law permits such mass deportation.

On Wednesday as the announced deadline expired, Pakistan formally began to deport Afghans through “holding centres” established at Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Attock. Thousands of refugees, including their families, women folk and children, were seen assembled at these centres.

Total 49 holding centres, some capable of accommodating several thousand people, have opened across Pakistan.

According to reports, more than 7,300 refugees, including over 100 prisoners, were deported on Wednesday via the Torkham border crossing.

The Pakistan government says more than four million foreigners live in Pakistan and the government claims nearly 1.7 million of those Afghans are undocumented and they are being deported.

The Interim Interior Ministry of Pakistan says that since the start of October till Wednesday evening at least 140,322 foreigners have “voluntarily returned to their respective countries”.

The Pakistani government in its notification has termed these “undocumented” refugees as “aliens”. “We don’t know anything about who they are – a labourer, a terrorist or a drug peddler. Thus, they are aliens,” said Anwarul Haq Kakar, while replying to a student’s query during an interactive session at LUMS on Tuesday.

When the student asked about deaths of two such refugees who were pushed into a cart brutally, he said that “hundreds of deaths have occurred due to elements (refugees) like them. We are not drowning these refugees into the sea like what happened to those who fled Syria and died in the Mediterranean… but we do feel as strongly for these two deaths as we do for any death in Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, the Dawn reported, the Pakistani authorities as part of the crackdown on these refugees demolished 800 houses that were built by them. Plus, 52,000 illegal residents have been identified and mapped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a crackdown according to reports. All these residents had amalgamated into the local population, and been living as “Pakhtuns”.

Even schools for these Afghan refugees have been force-shut, leaving children’s education in lurch and given the conditions in Afghanistan, it seems unlikely that they will be able to resume their education any time soon, or at all.

Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti, who has been warning Afghan refugees in tough language, shared a video of Afghan nationals lined up to board a bus to the neighbouring country.

“This action is a testament to Pakistan’s determination to repatriate any individuals residing in the country without proper documentation,” he said.

According to state-run Radio Pakistan, it is the first time in the country’s history that the interior ministry has “issued instructions to all provinces to deport illegal foreigners under the Foreigners Act”.

Taliban reaction

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has asked Pakistan to exercise tolerance and avoid the expulsion of Afghan refugees in line of Islamic brotherhood and humanitarian concerns.

The Taliban government urged Pakistan to give undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts swarmed by thousands of returnees fleeing the threat of deportation.

“We assure those Afghans who have gone to foreign countries due to some concerns that they can return and live a dignified life in their country,” Afghan government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujjahid said in a message.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate Haibatullah Akhundzada has established a high commission led by Maulavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy prime minister for administrative affairs, and consists of 31 high ranking officials, aimed at resolving the problems of forcibly deported Afghan refugees from Pakistan and other countries.

In order to provide basic services to the returnees, a procedure has been approved in 8 chapters and 31 articles, and a secretariat and 12 committees have been formed to implement this procedure, Taliban sources said.

Nasser Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, wrote on X: “Urgent action needed: Despite calls from UN officials, Pakistan is expelling Afghan refugees, violating international human rights conventions.”

International Outcry

Human Rights Watch said in a report that the Pakistani government is “using threats, abuse, and detention to coerce Afghan asylum seekers without legal status to return to Afghanistan, and that too by announcing an arbitrary deadline.

Many Afghans at risk of being deported, the HRW said, “are awaiting resettlement to the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada.

It also called on the governments of the US, UK, Germany, and Canada to expedite resettlement for Afghans from Pakistan who are particularly at risk, including women and girls, human rights activists, and journalists.

“Broad calls by Pakistani officials for mass deportation have instigated increased police abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention,” the HRW said. “While not explicitly stated, Afghans slated for deportation are unlikely to be given the opportunity to challenge the action.”

Afghan-run Pakistan economy in doldrums

Working at garbage dumps, running lorries, travel agencies, roadside stalls, labourers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Karachi and some urban centres in Punjab, Afghans are well-entrenched in Pakistani life and runs micro-economy ever since their migration started in 1970. Five districts — Peshawar, Harripur, Quetta, Islamabad and Attock – are known as Afghan-dominated. Quetta is believed to be run by Afghans entirely. The deportation of so many Afghans will create a vacuum that the Pakistani government eyes to fill with “unemployed, trade-less” Pakistanis seems easier said than done.

Replying to the question on Afghan absence from the Pakistani micro-economy, PM Kakar said that Islamabad was deporting those Afghans who are living for 40 years in Pakistan and are not paying tax. But do majdoors come under the tax-payer category in the least tax-paying nation of the world? Kakar left LUMS without answer.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 21: Nawaz Sharif, former and most exiled prime minister of Pakistan, will fly home from London via Dubai today in a highly anticipated return. Sharif, who has been convicted of corruption, though in dubious circumstances, has been granted interim bail relief from the Islamabad high court clearing his path, first to mobilise masses in support of his party – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – and then, if he overcomes legal tangles, prepare for new stint as PM.

Nawaz’s return, which became almost clear after former PM Imran Khan and his party’s fortunes, tumbled after May 9 mayhem following the ex-PM’s conviction-arrest, is important as it marks a comeback of Pakistan’s most experienced top-notch leader who has commanded a large following at home as well as recognition at international stage.

Pakistan is slated to hold its general elections in late January.

Push to PML-N

Fortunes of Nawaz’s party dipped ever since Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) snatched its popularity in Punjab and trounced it in 2018 polls, gaining more seats both in the Provincial Assembly and National Assembly. Even after the arrest of Imran and dismembering of PTI, PML-N has failed to win back public support.

In a survey, Imran’s PTI and late Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were found to be the most popular parties in Punjab.

In recent weeks though, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, who was PM till the caretaker set-up took over, and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have been drumming up support for the party by organising rallies in cities and door-to-door campaigns in rural areas.

The PML-N has organised a grand welcome for Nawaz. According to reports, he will lead a rally from Lahore airport into the heart of the city. The PML-N has even released a song for Nawaz’s return rally.

Jamia Millia Islamia’s Professor Ajay Darshan Behera, expert observer of Pakistan affairs, says that Nawaz’s charisma will surely be a boost for his party. “Nawaz has no doubt been a charismatic leader. He is considered to be more people-friendly and a mass leader than his brother Shehbaz, whose reputation has been that of a deft administrator, but public-shy leader. Nawaz’s presence will enthuse renewed vigour in PML-N cares,” Prof Behera said.

Relations with India

Relations between India and Pakistan have been lying in limbo since August 5, 2019 when India wrote down Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, Imran Khan staunchly opposed any “back-channel deal” that former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa tried to strike to open “trade routes with India”. Nawaz’s PML-N was reportedly in its favour. During his tenures, Nawaz himself took lead to normalise relations with India, most famously with the launch of the Lahore Bus service and the Lahore Declaration with former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Nawaz is a businessman and understands the circumstances required to improve economic conditions. His recent successor Imran Khan failed on this front. Presently, Pakistan is undergoing an extremely bad phase. Its economy is showing no signs of recovery. Trade with India will only give it a needed fillip,” said Professor Behera. He added that if links between both Punjabs can be established, it will not only help generate people-to-people goodwill, besides bringing prosperity on both sides.

CPEC

The “$400 billion” China and Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the most ambitious economic project of Pakistan ever, largely took off when Nawaz was prime minister in 2013-17. According to some commentaries appearing in Pakistan, Nawaz considers CPEC his pet project and will try to restart the stuck and hampered projects, if he has his way. The CPEC has suffered many setbacks in recent months. Several of its projects have either failed to materialise or they are proving to be too costly. Even the Chinese government is said to be peeved with “Pakistani lethargy”.

Legal Tangle

After the Panama papers expose, Nawaz was convicted for corruption cases and disqualified to hold any office in Pakistan. It was after Nawaz had fallen out with the powerful military that pulls almost all the strings in Pakistani power circles.

Nawaz as mentioned earlier is returning as an “absconder” out on protective bail till October 24 in two corruption cases. He is also facing an arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case – a similar case for which his bête noire Imran is languishing in jail.

Professor Behera says the real picture will be clear only after October 24.

But the party for Nawaz fans will begin on Saturday as their “Lion of Punjab” will descend at Lahore airport with Sahir Ali Bagga-sung song: “Mushkil Se Nikalo, Yeh Mulk Bacha Lo, Nawaz Sharif (Be Our Saviour, Save Our Country, Nawaz Sharif).”

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 11: Hyrbyair Marri is the leader of the Free Baloch Movement (FBM) that advocates for an independent homeland for the Baloch community from Pakistan. Hyrbyair comes from the Marri tribal family of Baloch nationalist leaders, who were initially a part of Pakistan's mainstream politics. However, as Pakistan played divisive politics with the Baloch and the army made attempts to weaken the tribal systems, the family felt disillusioned and betrayed.

Hyrbyair's father and popular leader, Khair Bakhsh Marri continually won elections from Balochistan and was part of the democratic fabric of his community and the country.

In the seventies, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became the Prime Minister and made attempts to wean away the powerful leaders from Baloch politics. 

Bhutto got a golden opportunity when in a sudden and stunning development, weapons were recovered from the Iraqi embassy in Islamabad and the Baloch leadership was implicated. The Balochistan assembly was dissolved and the Baloch leadership along with nearly 5,000-8,000 students and activists was jailed.

In Pakistan’s topsy-turvy world of democratic politics, General Zia-ul-Haq usurped power and put Bhutto behind bars. The general simultaneously released the Baloch leaders from jail, including Khair Bakhsh Marri and asked them to make peace with Islamabad.

However, the Marri leader decided to leave Pakistan for Afghanistan.

India Narrative picks up the story from here with the charismatic Hyrbyair Marri at a Persian restaurant in Ealing, London, over rounds of black tea. The Shah of Iran, embossed over blue and white pottery, hovers over the conversation as we travel from Afghanistan to Russia to Pakistan.

Persia Tea with Hyrbyair Marri

Excerpts from the interview with FBM leader-in-exile Hyrbyair Marri.

IN: You have lived in many countries. Tell us about your life in exile.

HM: Once my father out of jail in 1978, courtesy Zia-ul-Haq, the general like previous Pakistani military and political leaders, asked us to make peace. My father, instead, decided to go to Afghanistan. He also travelled to the UK and France.

It was natural that we also went with him to Afghanistan, where we saw a lot. All the time that we were there, it was all about fighting. The Soviet Army had entered Afghanistan, and though we were young, we understood.

We understood because even in Balochistan we were used to seeing people with bullet wounds. There were many rooms for such people in our house, and we used to get lots of such guests. They would see us and say, 'pray for me and I will heal'. So, even before we went to Afghanistan, we knew what wars were.

Soon enough me and my brothers were packed off to Moscow for studies. But we would keep visiting Afghanistan, and also Balochistan.

There were activities I didn't understand as a young boy. My brothers would take bags of wheat flour from home and put it near the road. I didn't know what was going on. I used to wonder 'why is flour being dropped near the road?' Later I came to know that Baloch 'fighters' would pick it up at night.

In Kabul, our house was in the diplomatic area near the embassies and UN offices. As the Soviets were in Afghanistan, we could frequently hear gunfire. Rockets were falling 5-8 miles from our house, which was not far from the king’s palace. Sometimes our guards got hit in the firing and shelling. We were close to the Japanese embassy and there was a vacant plot of land nearby, but we were largely safe.

Then General Tanai, the Defence Minister of Afghanistan, who was also the head of the Afghan National Army, began strafing Kabul. He also targeted our house. However, the pilots mistook our house and instead attacked Bacha Khan's house, which was next door. I think General Tanai thought that by attacking us, he would get a big welcome in Pakistan. In fact Najibullah [the President of Afghanistan] once said in a speech that 'General Tanai took out our house to make his masters happy'.

General Tanai did eventually flee to Pakistan.

At the age of 16, I went to Helmand province in Afghanistan. Historically, it is Baloch land and the Afghans also acknowledge it. There I saw the misery of our people. There was lots of disease, children were dying and it had no health facilities. The Afghans were themselves fighting so whatever little they could do for our people they did. And, for that I am grateful. It was not a good time for the Baloch people.

I spent much time between Moscow and Helmand. Between these trips I would often quietly cross over to Balochistan. It wasn't difficult, despite the risks, because both sides of the border have Baloch settlements. I was studying journalism at the Moscow State University. My brothers also were also studying in Moscow In 1990, I finished university in Moscow. Now that my studies were over, I had an agreement with my family that I will be free to do what I wanted to do. I decided to go back to Balochistan.

In Afghanistan, we were caught between the Mujahideen and the Russians firing rockets over us. We were located between the Mujahideen and the river on one side, and the airport and the Russians on the other side. Both were firing rockets at each other over us. But in the case of misfirings, many innocent Baloch people died just like that.

With Russia being a super power, it fired a lot of rockets. The helicopters were constantly landing and taking off – bringing weapons. That gave me an idea of what a super power is. The Russians also threw away a lot of ammunition and rockets as these had expired or were defective. It was like mountains of ammunition. But our [Baloch] people went there, picked up a rocket and fired. It worked perfectly well. For us, the weapons turned out fine.

IN: You were a minister in Balochistan. What was your experience there and what led to the fallout with the Pakistan government?

HM: At home, there was a lot of debate about my participation in elections. I decided to go forward with it as I thought I could do something good for the Baloch people. And so, I became the Minister of Construction and Works (CNW). But, soon after, I realised that the whole system was a factory in making people corrupt.

After an earthquake in Balochistan, the Japanese government offered to help us, but the government in Islamabad said that it would deal with the Japanese and oversee foreign aid, and that the government of Balochistan had no say in it, let alone the right to access it… We used to think that we will join the parliament and do something for the people, but I soon realised that it did not work that way. The unwritten pact with the Baloch leaders and Islamabad was that you remain corrupt but don't do anything for the people. This was not just not acceptable to us.

We used to get invitations to attend Pakistani Army functions and other celebrations, but it was to co-opt us. This is how efforts were made to turn us into puppets for the army and the political leaders in Punjab. Once, an army general told me that he used to serve in Balochistan protecting the 'kharar', the quiet ones, from the 'parar', the fighters. I made it known to the general that I was in fact a 'parar' -- a fighter and not a 'kharar' -- a quiet one.

IN: How does the current state of Pakistan which is very unstable, impact Baloch struggle? Does it strengthen your resolve to fight harder for an independent state?

HM: It will reflect positively on Balochistan if the enemy is weak. Apart from Makran, where China has been spending money, Pakistan is weak in Balochistan. The Pakistani Army has retreated from the Marri and other tribal areas. There were 40-50 military camps which the security forces have vacated for other areas. In mountains it is difficult to sustain and there was a constant threat to the army from the Baloch fighters.

Our brothers are sacrificing themselves every day. People are being picked-up, tortured and dumped on a daily basis.

In an alternate reality, we always thought that India would help us. But that has been wishful thinking. India has not understood the problems of the Baloch people. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Balochistan from the Lal Quila, Pakistani security personnel have killed many shephards and common people and called them agents of India. I also think that India has miscalculated their adversaries – Pakistan and also China.

IN: How has the Afghan war impacted the Baloch?

HM: See, the Afghans were religious but not radical. When the world poured weapons into Pakistan and Afghanistan, madrasas were built. Pakistan used the various border crossings from Balochistan to Afghanistan to carry the weapons but the Baloch did not become radicalised, unlike many other communities.

Initially, the dollars and the weapons did not change the Baloch people. Only in the last 20 years has Pakistan succeeded in radicalising some of the Baloch people. Going back to 1992, when I came from Moscow to Afghanistan, and then into Balochistan, I read in the newspapers that Baloch youth were being sent to the border with India. For years I saw that Baloch youth were getting killed in Kashmir. I began to think that while we were supposed to be fighting for our independence, here our youth were fighting someone else's battle.

Pakistan was killing two birds with one stone -- send the Baloch to Kashmir to kill the Indians, thus killing either the Indians or the Baloch. Then we began to speak to our youth about this. After the year 2000, the Baloch youth stopped going to Kashmir, as they knew they had a war to fight at home.

I see the whole Afghan war as a lesson, and prime example of Western double standards. Once the West's radicalisation of the people no longer served them, they switched up and started attacking those very people. Now the Pakistanis are attempting to radicalise the Baloch in that same manner, as having extremist baloch will give them the perfect excuse to openly wage war on us with the support of the West.

The international community ignores the suffering of such people, until they are radicalised and pose a threat to them, and then, after the problem has snowballed, they attempt to solve it with more violence.

IN: Pakistan has promised big investments for foreign investors in Balochistan. How do you see these?

HM: I see this as blatant aggression against us, but I also do not see it materialise. Many Muslim nations think that they are helping Pakistan because of Islam. If that is true, why don't they help us on the same Islamic values. I think Pakistan will stay with China even after stealing from the West because it knows that both Beijing and Islamabad have a common enemy in the neighbourhood -- India. On the other hand as India rises, the West is likely to support India.

IN: The situation in Pakistan is fragile. In case the Pashtuns assert themselves against the Pakistan Army in the north, do you think the Baloch freedom fighters will seize the moment? Also, how do you foresee the reaction of the Gulf nations in such a situation?

HM: We have never missed a single opportunity to promote our cause in the past seven decades. Our goal is independence.

I know one thing, the moment we become independent, all of the Gulf nations will come to our support. When they see that Pakistan is not likely to survive, many countries in the Arab world will support us. But, I have a feeling that even before this happens, many in the Western world will acknowledge us.

Also, we do not strike out China. We will talk to China once it gives us our due recognition and respect. Beijing has to recognize us, the Baloch, as the masters of our own land, and stop talking to Pakistan and Iran regarding our land.

We will talk to anyone in the global community except our occupiers – Pakistan and Iran. To them we talk for the independence of Balochistan. Once we gain independence, we will talk to them as neighbours.

IN: Can you give an overview of what an independent Balochistan will be like?

HM: We will not occupy other lands, but will not give up our land either. The British changed the contours of Balochistan. Pashtun areas were included into Balochistan. For example, areas north of Quetta are Pashtun lands or Afghan lands. We have no claim over that land. Baloch are living there the way Pashtuns are living in Balochistan.

Provinces like Helmand and Nimroz are part of the Baloch areas but the British gave these away to Afghanistan under the Durand land, which was drawn up without the consent of the Baloch or the Afghans. We consider people surrounding this region to be our friends. We have no quarrel with the Taliban. We think that the Taliban preach Islam their way, and we preach Islam our way.

Economically, we are self-sufficient. We have trillions of dollars of gas in Marri areas and near Kalat. We have the largest gold reserves. We have as much petroleum as the Saudis and we have uranium on the border with Punjab. Moreover, we are not landlocked. We have the ocean and then the world through the ocean. An independent Balochistan would mean a corridor to Afghanistan for India or any other country. We are open to trade and we are a tolerant people.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 10: Bangladesh, and not just its government, is under siege from overseas forces. Its forthcoming general election has clearly begun to exercise minds in nations abroad. Governments in the West and elsewhere have cheerfully been putting pressure on the Sheikh Hasina government to guarantee a free and credible election come January 2024. That has cheered the political opposition in Bangladesh to no end, for it seriously believes that such pressure is a sign that Sheikh Hasina’s days as Bangladesh’s leader are numbered.

Sheikh Hasina, it will be noted, recently returned to Bangladesh after a sixteen-day visit abroad. In the United States, she addressed the UN General Assembly in New York apart from spending time in Washington. On her way back home, she was in Britain for three days, where she met a number of British political personalities. It was during her stay in New York that the US authorities made it known that Washington had begun applying its visa restriction measures on Bangladeshi officials, politicians and others suspected to be undermining the electoral process in Bangladesh.

The pressure on Bangladesh has been growing. Even as the ruling Awami League and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party have been trading charges and barbs at each other over the American visa policy, an individual certainly active in Dhaka these days is US ambassador Peter Haas. Of course, American ambassadors have always waded into Bangladesh’s internal politics in recent years, but Haas appears to have outdone them through his rather aggressive position on the election scenario. Journalists in Bangladesh, a section of them, have been keen on soliciting from him American government views on the situation in Dhaka. He recently appeared on local television to proffer the thought that US visa restrictions could also apply to the Bangladesh media.

That comment led to an uproar in the wider journalistic circles in Bangladesh, with leading journalists condemning the ambassador’s comments as an interference in the free working of the media in the country. The US diplomatic mission swiftly went for damage control, through asserting that Washington respects media freedom in Bangladesh. Whether or not that clarification undid the damage caused by Haas’ comments remains a question. But what is obvious is the interference, in less than diplomatic manner, by American and other foreign diplomats in Bangladesh’s politics.

One cannot quite blame them, for in the past couple of decades and more, it has become something of a norm for politicians in Bangladesh, on both sides of the aisle, to curry favour with foreign diplomats. Bangladesh’s leading politicians have been quick to accept breakfast invitations to the residence of the US ambassador. That did not go down well with Bangladesh’s citizens.

The political condition today has come to a pass where an irate Sheikh Hasina told a Bangladeshi-British audience in London before flying back home that in response to the US sanctions and visa policy, Dhaka would exercise its own sanctions on those who clamped sanctions on it. Her remarks were echoed in Dhaka by Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, though it was not spelt out how Bangladesh means to go for sanctions of its own.

With all such circumstances developing in and around Bangladesh, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller informed the media last week that Washington does not support any particular political party in Bangladesh and does not wish to influence the outcome of the forthcoming election in Dhaka.

Miller’s statement has, however, not allayed feelings among political observers in Dhaka, for they are quite convinced that all the pressure brought to bear on the Hasina government by the US, the European Union and others is aimed at seeing the back of the present administration in Dhaka. A new development in this context is the letter written by a group of Australian MPs to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to adopt a visa policy regarding Bangladesh similar to the position adopted by Washington.

The pressure, one cannot but note, goes up by a few notches. Such pressure, one might add, has so far only resulted in defiance on the part of the Bangladesh leadership, which insists that the election will be held under the provisions of the country’s constitution, meaning that there will be no caretaker regime to oversee the election.

A significant happening during Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Washington was her meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who spent a good length of time with the Bangladesh leader obviously discussing political conditions in Bangladesh. Sullivan’s meeting with Sheikh Hasina assumes significance given that it is one of those rare times such a significant American administration figure has called on the Bangladesh Premier at a time that has Bangladesh on the global radar.

Back in Bangladesh, the government remains busy with its development projects. This month a number of mega projects will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Politically the Awami League prepares for the election, while the BNP holds on to the hope that foreign pressure will persuade the government to hand over power to an interim administration which will preside over the election in January next year.

For Sheikh Hasina and her government, the tough job now is to weather the storm arising from overseas pressure for a fair election through convincing foreign leaders that despite the government being in charge, the election will be a credible exercise of the vote. The government will need to go out on a limb to convince the electorate of the many strides taken in the economic arena in the fourteen years since the Awami League returned to power in 2009. These achievements will, the party hopes, catapult it back to a new term in office.

Achievements apart, the ruling party’s election manifesto will, in addition, need to spell out measures aimed at slicing away at corruption, ensuring rule of law, putting a strict end to money laundering and bridging the widening chasm between rich and poor.

Neither the Awami League nor its supporters’ base relishes the thought of the country sliding back to the era when anti-history and an absence of secularism prevented Bangladesh from exercising the fundamental principles underpinning the War of Liberation in 1971 and forming the core of the constitution adopted in 1972.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, Oct 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major blow to Pakistan’s efforts at inviting international investments in Balochistan, project manager of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) Shabahat Mirza was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Balochistan’s capital Quetta on Sunday.

Pakistani newspaper, The News International reports that the PMDC official was traveling to the Sor Range in a car along with his driver, Muhammad Zakir, when a bicycle bomb exploded in a crowded market area near a police station in Quetta. While Mirza died on the spot, his driver was critically injured.

Balochistan’s interim government announced an “all-out war” against terrorists in the province.

The Pakistani Army and the government had recently identified minerals as one of the critical areas for investment through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). With a serious downturn in the country’s economic progress, the army has taken over the important task of steering the economy by inviting investors, hyphening off strategic assets like airlines, airports, ports and government-run hotels.

The government had in early August organised the mineral summit to invite foreign investors to exploit the mineral riches in its largest but poorest province. Saudi Arabia had shown interest in picking up stake in the Reqo Dik mines which are partly owned by Canadian mining corporation Barrick Gold along with the governments of Pakistan and Balochistan. In a latest development, the Pakistan government has said that it will sell off its stake to the Saudis.

Even Western countries like Germany and the US have shown interest in investing in Balochistan, ostensibly to reduce the Chinese influence over Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the Baloch armed organisations are clear that they will not allow their minerals to be exploited by Pakistan or by foreign investors. The alienated and estranged Baloch community feels that Pakistan is generating a huge amount of revenue by looting their minerals – gas from Sui region, gold and copper from Saindak and the Reko Dik mines, uranium from Dera Ghazi Khan, precious stones from Wadh and Khuzdar, coal from Mach, Chamalang and harnai regions.

The rebels have launched multiple attacks on the Hub cement factory as well as attacks on Chinese engineers and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. The attacks on Chinese nationals have also led to frosting in diplomatic relations between the two nations. An unhappy and angry China has reportedly decided not to invest further in Pakistan.

The Baloch feel that any foreign investor or country that seeks to invest in Pakistan should first check with the local community and grant them a substantial stake in the projects.

The armed insurgency has taken a heavy toll on Pakistani security forces who have been losing their personnel almost every day to IED attacks, ambushes, as well as fire raids on security camps as they resist the Pakistan government and its agencies from ethnic cleansing, mass enforced disappearances, kill and dump strategies.

 (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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Kathmandu, Oct 5: India has taken a fresh step to integrate Nepal’s electricity with its market by allowing Nepal to sell its power generated by two hydroelectric projects to its real time energy market.

It is the first time that that Nepal has got approval to sell its power in the Real Time Market (RTM) where, according to Nepal Electricity Authority, which is solely responsible for bilateral trade of electricity till date, Nepal can sell power by participating in bids just one hour 15 minute earlier than selling the power.

The Central Electricity Authority of India on Saturday granted approval to sell power generated from 19.4 MW Lower Modi and 24.25 MW Kabeli B-1 hydropower projects in RTM, the NEA said in a press statement on Saturday.

“The approval has been granted to sell starting from October 1 or Saturday midnight,” Prabal Adhikari, power trade director of NEA, told India Narrative. “With this approval, Nepal has also become the first country to participate in India’s RTM from South Asia.”

By amending the ‘Procedure for approval and facilitating import/export (cross border) of electricity by the designated authority’ issued in February 2021, the southern neighbour, on July 31, had opened the door for Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh to participate in its real time energy market.

India first opened its energy exchange market for Nepal in November 2021 by allowing the Himalayan country to sell its power in the day-ahead market where quantum of power and prices are determined a day ahead of trading. Southern neighbour has also started buying power from Nepal under a medium-term five-year power deal starting from early September.

In the day-ahead market, Nepal has been allowed to sell upto 522MW while the Himalayan country has been selling 110MW in Haryana state through NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited [NVVN], under a five year deal signed in May, according to NEA.

Now, New Delhi started granting approval to sell Nepal’s power through the third option, i..e. RTM. “Having multiple options of trading minimises the risks,” said Adhikari.

After this approval, the NEA planned to sell a partial quantum of approved volume of the power in the RTM. “Initially, we will sell a limited volume of power in RTM,” said Suresh Bhattarai, spokesperson of the NEA.

NEA officials said that the main advantage of the RTM is that the power system operator can get flexibility in balancing the demands and supply. “For example, Nepal can instantly sell its power if there is excess power generation than estimated,” said Adhikari. “It reduces the risk of power spillage.”

According to the NEA, the southern neighbour granted approval for the two projects to sell power in the RTM for the first time along with renewing the approval granted to them to sell power in the day-ahead market.

The Indian authorities grant one-year approval for the day-ahead market which needs to be renewed every year. Nepal has been seeking an end to the provision of annual renewal arguing that it brings unpredictability in access to India’s vast power market.

Access to the Indian market has been vital for Nepal as the country has been producing excess electricity in the wet season (rainy season) from its mostly run-of-the river power projects. The country, however, has to import from India in the dry season (winter time) as the power projects produce just around one third of their capacity.

In July, India also opened the door for Nepal to buy power from India’s real time market too. But, according to Adhikari, Indian suppliers need not be determined in advance like in the case of export. “But, the Indian suppliers should have generated the power from the imported coal in the case of coal-fired power generation,” he said.

These developments have taken place at a time when power sector cooperation between the two neighbours is moving forward smoothly in recent years.

The southern neighbour has promised to buy as much as 10,000MW of electricity from Nepal in the next 10 years and two countries have taken a number of measures to boost India’s investment in Nepal’s power sector as well as improve cross border transmission infrastructure to enable evacuation of power across the border.

“Nepal is also expecting the long-term power trade agreement between the two countries, which was initially during Nepali Prime Minister’s visit to India a few months back, to be signed as early as possible,” said Adhikari.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 4: The Pakistani government is planning to sell off its part of the shares in the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project to Saudi Arabia. The other partners in the venture are the Canada-based Barrick Gold and the government of Balochistan.

Pakistani newspaper The News International reported on Tuesday that Pakistan is keen to invite investment from the Gulf nation as part of the strenuous efforts by the government and the army to attract foreign investment from friendly countries.

The deal to extract gold and copper from the highly insurgent-prone province of Balochistan had been signed by the previous government under prime minister Imran Khan. The partnership entailed 50 per cent holding by Barrick Gold, and the rest between the federal government and the provincial government of Balochistan.

The news that Pakistan might exit the deal has been floating since the first week of August after the then government of Shehbaz Sharif and the army together organised the Pakistan Mineral Summit in Islamabad on August 1 this year. The summit was to open up Pakistan’s $6 trillion worth of mineral deposits to foreign investment.

Speaking with reporters at the mineral summit, Barrick CEO Mark Bristow had said that he had no objection to Pakistan selling off its Reko Diq – the controversial gold and copper mining project in Balochistan stake to Saudi Arabia.

However, a major concern at the summit was the poor security that foreign firms faced in a conflict-prone Balochistan. Chinese projects and engineers have faced relentless deadly attacks from Baloch fighters over perceived exploitation of their gas and mineral resources.

Before organising the mineral summit, Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistani Army under General Asim Munir had also established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to open up critical Pakistani sectors to foreign investment as the country was fast spiralling into financial and forex chaos with food and fuel inflation shooting through the roof.

The News International also reported that the Pakistani government-Army led SIFC has confirmed the development. It reported that “the brotherly state is interested in investing in the existing project because, like any investor, Saudis don’t want to take risks by venturing into an unexplored mining area”.

The newspaper also reported that Barrick is also interested in getting the Saudis as partners.

In August Baloch organisations had exclusively told India Narrative that Saudi investment in Balochistan’s gold and copper mines could only escalate the volatile situation in the province. Qazi Dad Mohammad Rehan, the Information and Cultural Secretary of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) had said that more foreign investment will only, “compound the current problems and lead to a worsening of the situation”.

The Baloch insurgent organisations had warned Barrick Gold last year itself that the armed fighters will “defend Baloch motherland and its resources”. The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) had said that ” …we warn Barrick Gold Corporation to immediately walk away from the Reko Diq deal as the Baloch freedom fighters have been ordered to target Barrick Gold’s employees, security, installation and any convoys in Balochistan”.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 3: The much-sought after bailout loan of $330 million by Colombo from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not materialised ostensibly after Beijing’s refusal to restructure bilateral loans it extended to the Indian Ocean island - a fast friend till recently.

The IMF has been insisting that Sri Lanka should get an assurance from its biggest bilateral lenders - China, Japan and India -that they will restructure their loans before possible IMF funding. Colombo, despite many requests, now finds that Beijing is unwilling to provide it with “a concrete debt relief framework”, says a report in Nikkei Asia.

A report in Daily FT says that Colombo is likely to reach a debt reduction deal this month with India, Japan and France to be in time for the IMF and the World Bank’s meetings later this month in Morocco. The newspaper reports that China has not joined the group by remaining an observer.

If China opts out of the deals to provide support to Sri Lanka in managing its external loans, it could cast a shadow over its IMF bailout plans as China holds 42 per cent of the island nation’s external debt.

 An IMF delegation spent two weeks in the country reviewing its economic progress since the country’s financial collapse in 2021. The delegation has said that the country has made commendable progress in implementing reforms ensuring that the economy is stabilising and inflation is coming down.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is battling another Chinese problem as Beijing seeks entry for research ship Shi Yan 6 currently in the Indian Ocean. Last week Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry had told the local media that Colombo had not given permission to the ship to enter the country as Indian security concerns are important to the nation.

The Chinese presence in Sri Lanka’s ports is now becoming a worry not just for India but the US also. It is reported that US Under Secretary Victoria Nuland raised concerns about the Chinese ship planning to dock in Sri Lankan waters with Sabry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York last month.

Washington has earlier been spooked by a Chinese spy balloon that was found floating over its airspace earlier this year. Sabry deflected the issue by saying that his country has devised a standard operating procedure (SOP) which has to be followed by the ships docking in Sri Lanka.

India had earlier also raised the matter of Chinese research ships docking at Hambantota Port, alleging that the spy ships could be keeping an eye on Indian strategic ports on the eastern coastline and vital installations from where it conducts missile tests.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 3: Pakistan has the world in bewilderment – never-ending wars, a growing poor-rich divide, politicians thriving in foreign lands, army generals running businesses in Western countries and its people on the verge of a civil war.

Pakistan appears to be on a self-destruction path with continuous fighting in Balochistan, massive bombings in mosques that kill hundreds of faithful, the Afghan border aflame with hostilities and a toothless interim government that faces ignominy internally and externally.

In his recent five-day visit to New York for the UN General Assembly meeting, interim Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar did not meet a single political leader at the UNGA, reported Pakistani newspaper Dawn, drawing attention to the miserable situation that the country finds itself in.

With chaos gripping Pakistan as opposed to the rise of its eastern neighbour India globally and in lending a helping hand in its South Asian neighbourhood, India Narrative catches human rights activist and former mayor of Karachi, Arif Aajakia, to discuss India, Pakistan and global politics on the banks of the Jubilee river in Slough – near London, on a cold rainy day. Aajakia says that the break-up of Pakistan is imminent as all its powerful people, who he describes as “the Pakistani oligarchy” – the politicians, bureaucracy, judiciary, army and the media, are leading the country headlong towards its destruction.

Excerpts from the interview:

Pakistani Army is Anti-peace

The Pakistani oligarchy, which I mention above, all have designs to create a market of terror in India. I think that on two occasions the peace talks between India and Pakistan have been scuttled. One was the [Atal Behari] Vajpayee and [Nawaz Sharif] initiative and later it was the Narendra Modi and Nawaz initiative. These talks were not to the liking of the army which feels belittled when politicians take initiative.

Later, the army took out Imran Khan from its pocket and conspired to make him win the elections. The army had thought that with his international image, Imran would be able to bring international funding and improve the image of the country. But none of this worked as Imran took on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and made wrong financial decisions. He also took on the army, which nobody does in Pakistan.

The army wants the interim government to continue. General Asim Munir is running the interior ministry, the finance ministry as well as the foreign policy. The international community does not look at the interim Prime Minister as a representative of the people. At the UN General Assembly, he was looked at as a non-credible and unelected leader.

The Politics Behind Elections

Unfortunately for the army, the US is keen that Pakistan holds ‘free and fair’ elections. Also, the IMF will not give loans to an interim government. Therefore, the army knows that it will have to hold elections sooner or later. Whenever elections are held, the army will try to ensure a hung parliament so that it can continue its hold on power.

The thing with elections in Pakistan is that if 500 people go to vote, the official turnout is touted to be 5,000.

I also feel that despite all the efforts to bring Nawaz Sharif back to Pakistan, the army remains uncomfortable with him. Therefore, I will not be surprised if the former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto is made the Prime Minister. He has been making highly acerbic anti-India statements which are to the liking of the army.

Break-up of Pakistan Imminent

The internal situation in the country is bleak because of deep ethnic divisions. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has turned anti-Pakistan because of the proximity of the Pashtuns to Afghanistan. Also, they support Imran Khan in a big way and his harassment by the army has completely alienated them. Remember that even Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan chose to be buried in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and not in Pakistan.

During the recent clashes in Chitral, the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) made a post on the Pakistani side of the border. In another area of Chitral, the TTP fighters took over an army camp because the Pakistani soldiers fled from there. After a couple of days the army took it back from the TTP.

If ever, the various conflicts in Pakistan turn into a war, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will break itself free. Similarly, the Baloch people will also get the opportunity to make themselves independent. I think Afghanistan will support the Baloch. Maybe even Oman and Emirates will support Balochistan if it becomes free.

I also notice the US is beginning to look at Asia with interest again. It seems to be developing an interest in Balochistan as the province shares its borders with both Afghanistan and Iran. I believe that geography will change soon in the region.

State of Pakistani Society

A feeling is developing among the Pakistani diaspora that the country may disintegrate soon. It may happen in one year or it may take 10 years.

Just took at where the society is going – blasphemy laws only becoming stronger, the Shia-Sunni divide is increasing, atrocities on minorities have reached a peak, electricity bills are bigger than people’s earnings. I think a civil war may not be far off considering that the average Pakistani holds a lot of weapons.

India has Risen in Global Politics

Till ten years back India was not interested in global politics. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, he had to deal with a diplomacy that had a certain mindset. In the last five years, India has moved from being an actor in global affairs to being an active participant. I say this because of its association with I2U2 (India-Israel-US-UAE), the Quad grouping, a productive G20 summit and adopting a middle path in spite of the pressures from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

I think in days to come, India will play a bigger role in world politics. It is still a believer in ahimsa while the West believes in wars and keeps waging these.

The country has touched down on the moon and sent a mission to the sun. India could have risen much earlier in global rankings if Pakistan had not dragged India down using Kashmir as a tool.

Currently, Modi has developed good relations with the Muslim world which nobody had thought was possible under a BJP government.

I think India will have a stake in rare earths in Africa and Latin America because it is recognised as a country with positive dealings and honest, hardworking people. The Afghans understand that India was the only country to have actually supported them. Now even Pakistani YouTubers and intelligentsia are changing their views about India.

I also think that India is in global focus because of Modi, though he has been portrayed negatively by the Western media. However, India is no longer being ignored in global politics.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 2: Mohamed Muizzu, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)-People's National Congress (PNC) coalition candidate has been elected the President of Maldives. Muizzu defeated incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was known for being close to India. The 45-year-old Muizzu won 54.06 per cent of the vote in the run-off contest.

Solih, 61, will continue as caretaker president till Muizzu takes charge on November 17.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Muizzu on being elected President.

The Prime Minister posted on X: "Congratulations and greetings to @MMuizzu on being elected as President of the Maldives."

"India remains committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship and enhancing our overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region," he said.

The elections in Maldives will have implications for India's polity.

Last year, India extended $100 million to the Maldives in the form of budgetary support to help Male address the economic challenges.

Besides the ambitious Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), last year, Male and JMC Projects (India) inked a contract for Maldives Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project. It is being developed under the $800 million concessional Line of Credit (LoC) extended by India to the Maldives. Under the GMCP, a 6.74-km long bridge and causeway link is being built. This will connect the national capital Male with three adjoining islands -- Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi..

Muizzu, a supporter to former President Abdulla Yameen, who is currently serving an 11-year jail term, has been a strong supporter of the "India-Out" campaign in the island nation. Known to be pro-China, he had promised to build closer ties with Beijing. In a meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials last year, Muizzu said that his party's return to office would "script a further chapter of strong ties between our two countries," Al Jazeera said, adding that this may also mean freedom for Yameen, Muizzu's mentor.

Even as it may be Advantage China for now, India must continue with its focus on Maldives. While most analysts said though it is expected that a new political structure in Maldives will play out in the future, India must not deviate from its existing policies.

Maldives will seek greater economic engagements from other countries.

"India needs to play its cards well. New Delhi must continue to focus on Maldives. Irrespective of the election outcome, one of the ways to build stronger and long-term ties with Maldives is by boosting connectivity," Dhanuraj D, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research, told India Narrative.

Dhanuraj added that people-to-people contact must be increased between the two countries for sustained ties. 

"India must also continue with its financial assistance to the nation and stick to timely and professional execution of infrastructure projects," he said, adding that the archipelago must be brought in India's tourism strategy by creating a circuit much like Sri Lanka.

"While the government-to-government dealings have been on, it is time India also focuses on improving people-to-people contact," Dhanuraj said, adding that the trust deficit, which exists in the island nation towards India, must be worked on.

Maldives is not only India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), it occupies a special place in Modi's vision of SAGAR or 'Security and Growth for All in the Region' and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy'.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 30: A miffed Russia has expressed its concerns about "attempts by extra-regional players to become more active in the Afghan direction" during the fifth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan held in Kazan on Friday that was also attended by Amir Khan Mottaqi, the Acting head of the Afghanistan Foreign Ministry.

India’s Ambassador to Moscow Pavan Kapoor and senior officials of Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended the meeting while representatives of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey were present as guests.

The ‘Kazan Declaration’ of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan released late Friday evening also mentioned the parties’ concern on the difficult security situation in Afghanistan due to the intensification of the activities of terrorist groups, primarily ISIS.

The participating countries called on the current Afghan authorities to combat ISIS and urged them to take similar measures against all terrorist groups.

Most participating countries also emphasised their opposition to external support for terrorism in Afghanistan.

“We called on the current Afghan authorities to take effective measures to dismantle, eliminate and prevent the deployment of all types of terrorist groups based in Afghanistan and to prevent the emergence in the country of a hotbed of terrorism and instability in neighbouring countries of the region,” the declaration stated.

Introduced in 2017, Russia reckons the format as the most effective mechanism for promoting external support for an Afghan settlement. Its main objective remains to facilitate the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan and secure peace in the country as soon as possible.

Last November, the fourth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations was held without any participation from the current Taliban regime in Kabul as the Kremlin was quite upset about no progress having been made to form an inclusive Afghan government reflecting the interests of all the ethno-political forces of the country.

On Friday, the participants once again “noted with regret” that despite the appointment of individual representatives of various Afghan nationalities to the Kabul administration, political pluralism is not much visible.

Meanwhile, in his address to the participants, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he “cannot help but note” that Moscow is concerned about attempts by extra-regional players to become more active in the Afghan direction.

He made it clear that a full-fledged unification of the efforts of the countries of the region with the member states of the NATO bloc is possible “only on the condition” that the latter fully acknowledge all responsibility for the “sad results” of their 20-year military presence in Afghanistan, which ended in a “complete fiasco”.

Lavrov mentioned that Washington’s blocking of Afghan banking holdings is “counterproductive” and only aggravates the situation, complicating the already difficult living conditions of ordinary Afghans.

“Under any circumstances, we consider the return of US and NATO military infrastructure to the territory of Afghanistan and its neighbouring states unacceptable, no matter what pretexts it is justified. We intend to be especially vigilant in this matter. We call on all partners in the Moscow format to do the same,” he warned.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 28: On September 19, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau accused the Indian Government of having potential links over the killing of a Canadian national Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has called the accusations absurd and has called Canada a safe-haven for terrorists. Both countries are in a diplomatic spat with each other and relations are at an all-time low with no side budging.

India has stopped issuing Visas for Canadians and has asked Canada to bring parity in its Diplomatic staff similar to that of India while Canada is seen coordinating with FVEY (intelligence alliance of Anglo-Saxon countries) to put pressure on India to come forward and cooperate in the investigation.

While it is important for every country which pursues Rule of Law to investigate every crime on its land, it often happens that some are given more importance than others while some are just brushed under the carpet. On June 18, Nijjar was shot dead outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada and the Nijjar case continues to be investigated. On the other hand, Karima Baloch wasn’t so lucky. She died under mysterious circumstances and nobody took up her case.

Karima Baloch was a freedom activist from the Balochistan region of Pakistan and had to flee and take asylum in Canada in 2016 as she was being threatened by the Pakistan Authorities. While living in Canada, she continued her activism despite continuous threats on her life. This was confirmed by her husband Hammal Haider, who is himself an activist living in exile. On August 20, 2020, she left for a walk but didn’t return, two days later her body was found near Lake Ontario. Toronto Police confirmed that her death is being investigated as a non-criminal death and no foul play is suspected.

Threat to Karima’s life has remained perpetual and it travelled with her to Canada too. During her asylum case, her uncle was killed to give her a message. In Canada she was being watched daily. Karima’s brother Sameer recalls an episode when a caller described her daily routine and how she was enjoying with her three-year-old nephew in the park and continuously intimidated her to stop activism. With so many threats looming over her head, it is strange that Canadian Police and Government Officials didn’t look into the homicide angle, while her relatives and friends continued to press for an investigation. But the Canadian police were adamant about closing the case, a fact that says a lot about Canada’s rule of law.

Karima’s sister Mahaganj states how Pakistan created trouble during Karima’s burial in her hometown Tump, Balochistan. Firstly, Pakistani Forces mocked her as she landed in Karachi with Karima’s body and told her that she had now seen Pakistan’s power. The forces even warned that if they didn’t follow their instructions, they would bury Karima’s body themselves where her grave would never be found again. Pakistan Forces hated her so much that they snatched the Quran from the family and threw it away while the family were reciting passages for her last rites.

It is not the first time that Canada has been faced with such duplicity. The infamous case of Canadian citizen Maher Arar Extraordinary Rendition, where the Canadian agencies knew Arar was not a terrorist but still complied with the request by the American agencies for a rendition of Arar to Syria, where he was tortured but ultimately was declared innocent.

While Canadians are keen to investigate the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and want to bring accountability and justice for Nijjar’s killing, it would also be pertinent if Canada reopens an investigation into Karima Baloch’s death as there are credible reasons to believe that Pakistan has killed Karima Baloch. The rule of law cannot be partial in any country, especially in a free democratic one.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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London, Sep 28: It is unusual that the interim government in Pakistan has a Prime Minister, an Interior Minister, an Information Minister and even the Supreme Court justice from Balochistan.

The Baloch are, however, not impressed as they do not consider these leaders as community representatives. Activists from the community speak with outright dismissal if not derision about interim Prime Minister Anwar-ul Haq Kakar and Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti who is currently presiding over intense military operations in Dera Bugti to recover six ‘footballers’ kidnapped by a Baloch armed group.

Balochistan - despite an alienated people and overlooked by human rights defenders globally, has become a centre of attraction for, and also tussle between, geo-political powers. Recently, Pakistan’s largest province has come under an investment limelight with the Chinese, the Americans and the Gulf autocracies eyeing the region for investment.

As Pakistan becomes the centre of news over a sliding economy, mass radicalisation and a hub of terror groups, India Narrative speaks with Ahmed Baloch, foreign policy representative of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) in London about the fierce armed independence movement, sudden American interest in the region and how Pakistan’s unstable conditions are impacting the conflict.

BNM foreign policy campaigner Ahmed Baloch(Photo: Rahul Kumar)

Excerpts from the interview:

IN: A Pakistani Army mission has been on for more than two weeks in Dera Bugti which is unusual. The government says that it is trying to recover six ‘footballers’ kidnapped by the Baloch fighters. Do you know what is happening there?

AB: A Baloch nationalist outfit called the Baloch Liberation Tigers (BLT) kidnapped six members of a death squad. The van had nearly 20 people but the others were let go. These six kidnapped people are believed to be close to interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti and it has become a matter of pride for the minister and the army to rescue these six.

The army launched a military operation with artillery and helicopter gunships. Entire villages have been set on fire but they have not been able to find out those death squad members. The modus operandi of the Pakistani Army is to shell Baloch areas and shut down the operations after a few days, as has happened earlier in Noshki. But in Dera Bugti the operation, which is being led by Corps Commander Asif Gafur, is still going on at three weeks.

IN: What do you make of the American ambassador to Pakistan David Blome’s visit to Gwadar, where the Chinese are building a controversial port?

AB: It is a big question. The US ambassador goes to Gwadar just days after a huge attack takes place on a van carrying Chinese engineers. Baloch political parties welcome the ambassador in Gwadar where he meets local people also.

The US had underestimated Chinese investments in Pakistan and the role of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The US could be trying to rectify that mistake by taking more interest in Balochistan.

I think someone gave him assurance about security in a sensitive area like Gwadar. The distance between the Gwadar airport to the city is about 10 odd kms and the Talar mountains which are close to the airport are under Baloch control.

IN: Pakistan is trumpeting investments in Balochistan from the Gulf countries and is inviting global firms to invest in the province. How ripe are the conditions for investment?

AB: Gwadar does not have water or power for the people. People have to buy and store water, which is stolen from their houses at night.

Gwadar is two cities – one for the Chinese people and Pakistani soldiers and the other for the local Baloch. The city that is for Pakistani soldiers and the Chinese investors is modern with water and power. The one for the Baloch is like 15th century living. There are no schools for the girls.

From Gwadar to Karachi, there is just one double road for transporting people and goods from the port. During rains at least one to two bridges collapse. This road cannot take big cargo, has a lot of security checkpoints and witnesses regular attacks by the Baloch insurgents.

Every blue moon, a ship arrives at the Gwadar port which is operational on a small scale. There is hardly any investment in Balochistan. The only investment is the Gwadar airport. There is no railway to ferry the shipments.

IN: How have the poor socio-political-economic conditions in Pakistan impacted Balochistan?

AB: Things have completely changed in Balochistan. Since 2014, our movement has changed from emotional to tactical politics.

Now even the mainstream Members of Parliament who are Baloch support an independent Balochistan. They will salute the Pakistan flag and Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s photograph in public but help the fighters in secret.

There is a groundswell of sympathy and support for Balochistan among the political classes. Baloch politicians have begun to keep the flag of an independent Balochistan nation inside their homes.

Baloch people have penetrated the ISI, the military intelligence and the police. They participate in Pakistan’s August 14 independence day rallies. Our people have joined mainstream political parties like the PPP, the PML-N and even the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) but espouse the Baloch cause.

IN: How do you analyse the May 9 attacks on the Pakistani Army buildings and symbols by Imran Khan’s supporters?

AB: I feel the Pakistani Army was exposed in front of the people - that it did not win any war that it started. The attacks also showed that the Pakistani Army is not a holy cow any more.

Its corruption and affluence was exposed before the people. The pride in being a Pakistani Army family has been swept away after its businesses and corruption was seen by the people. In fact a lot of women in the army families have begun to support Imran Khan.

People in the UK used to say that the army will not attack its own people. But now they have begun to agree with me that the Pakistani Army is abducting its own people.

For many ethnic soldiers like the Pashtuns at the lower levels, who used to view it (the army) as jihad, it it no longer so. Now it is just a job.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 25: A recent diplomatic rift between Canada and India over Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian-Indian and leader of an outlawed Khalistan killed by unknown assailants at a Sikh temple in Surrey in the province of British Columbia in mid-June has dominated news headlines.

After four months, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suddenly stood up the House of Commons at Parliament Hill and told lawmakers in Ottawa that his government possessed “credible” allegations which pointed fingers toward Indian intelligence potential link to the assassination.

As political historian Mohiuddin Ahmad says, Canada came out in the public domain regarding the allegations against India. But on the other hand, Canada has never made public the Chinese interference and their covert activities.

Canada allows hate speech by radical Sikhs in the name of freedom of speech and expression, which is not only a double standard but a hypocritical government, remarked Ahmed.

Canada’s allies are still quiet! Trudeau expects condemnation from the West while asking India to cooperate on the murder of confessed extremists for an independent Khalistan. The anti-Indian terror campaign for a separate territory for the Sikhs has been aided and abetted by the dreaded Pakistan spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

Well, his government has yet to share evidence blaming India behind Nijjar’s death, who was chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and is unlikely to get ‘cooperation’ from New Delhi. Ottawa has refused to extradite a couple of “most-wanted” Sikhs for crimes committed in India and elsewhere.

In a tit-for-tat expelling spy agency officials under diplomatic cover from each other country.

An Indian born Ashok Swain @ashoswai, Professor at Uppsala University, Sweden tweets: “Modi has made Canada, India’s new Pakistan!”

Pierre Trudeau (father of Justin Trudeau) turned down India’s request to hand over a Sikh militant named Talwinder Singh Parmar, the head of the terrorist organisation.

The ‘person of interest’ has been blamed for placing a bomb on an Air India flight in 1985. The bomb exploded midair, killing 329 people, 268 of them Canadian citizens.

Millions of immigrants who adopted Canada as their new home, do not know that Canada is a haven for Nazi war criminals and other wanted criminals living with impunity.

The politicians and former officials of their home countries [list of countries withheld for obvious reason] have been laundering money accumulated from loot, corruption and illegal cartels with a “no question asked policy” of Canada for new arrivals.

Nearly a thousand suspects indicted for war crimes, according to the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals by Justice Jules Deschenes (1985-1986) are believed to be living in Canada.

The Royal Commission was able to establish that identified Nazi war criminals, for crimes committed in Germany and marauding Nazi occupation forces during World War II were given permanent residency. The Nazi war criminals brought huge wealth looted from Europe and especially from Jews.

The book ‘Unauthorized Entry: The Truth about Nazi War Criminals in Canada, 1946-1956’ by Howard Margolian published in 2000 brings fresh waves among Canadians what the war crimes advocacy groups, the media, and even a royal commission have suggested that Canada has given refuge to such criminals.

On the recommendation of the Commission, Canada enacted the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, 2000. Under the new legislation, one Rwandan immigrant was found guilty of committing genocide and sentenced to life in prison in May 2009.

The Canadian Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Programme investigated 200 perpetrators currently residing in Canada.

Notwithstanding India’s repeated requests over the years to extradite the “most wanted” extremists, who have harmed India, Canada decided not to comply and gave any explanation.

On the other hand, Bangladesh had also made requests over 20 years to deport the ‘most wanted’ army officer S.H.M.B. Nur Chowdhury, held responsible for the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the independence hero of Bangladesh in a military putsch on August 15, 1975. The 73-year-old fugitive has been living in Canada since 1996.

“That’s why he is safe in Canada,” writes Charlie Gillis, a Canadian journalist, “The assassin among us.” Nur told a state broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) denying the allegation of taking part in the murder of Bangabandhu and said as a junior military officer he obeyed orders of his superiors.

Sheikh Mujib’s daughter, present Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina pleaded with her counterpart Justin Trudeau at several meetings on the sideline at global events to deport her father’s assassin. Her appeal fell on deaf ears though.

A new Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Heather Cruden in September 2011 in an explosive statement said that “Canada will not expel any suspected criminal to face a possible execution abroad.”

“Our government has a clear policy that we cannot extradite people to a country where there is [a] death sentence,” she told reporters in Dhaka.

The diplomat has rekindled a long-running dispute between Canada and Bangladesh, during which Bangladeshi officials have at times accused Canada of giving refuge to the most wanted fugitive for 27 years.

Canadian Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs sings the same tune. A policy statement says something like this: “Bangladesh judiciary is not independent and deportation or extradition of a certain person will jeopardise his safety and his security would be compromised by a politically motivated justice system.”

“There are possibilities of being harmed when the person is forced to return to his country of origin.”

Canada provided a typical argumentative argument on the request for the deportation of Chowdhury, who was indicted in absentia for the murder of Sheikh Mujib and has been sentenced to the death penalty by a special tribunal in Dhaka in 1998 and declared him a fugitive. His name appears in the red list of Interpol.

Canadian media have intermittently kept the issue alive. This possibly has impacted the rejection of Chowdhury’s asylum case and demand for extradition by the Bangladesh government.

All his hope to live in Canada has been dashed after all the gates of the refugee court, appeal court and higher court shut down on his face. Chowdhury’s asylum case has been denied again and again.

Shahidul Islam Mintu, founder and CEO of the first 24/7 NRB Television for the Bangladeshi diaspora in Canada has been following the case of Chowdhury.

He said the fugitive rarely ventures outside his apartment except to buy groceries. He once faced angry Bangladesh nationals who condemned him for killing Mujib and demanding punishment. He lives in seclusion in Etobicoke, Toronto.

In a brazen move, Ottawa wanted to negotiate with Washington DC to send rogue military officer AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, to a third country (preferably Canada), who swears that he didn’t play a role in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib.

Ahmed’s asylum case in Los Angeles, US has been rejected multiple times in appeal courts. The US authorities decided to deport him, which was indeed a surprise for Bangladesh.

The fugitive was deported to Bangladesh and the verdict was executed by hanging for the crime.

On May 29, 2007, Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice addressing the Speaker of Parliament urged Ms Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration that a “former Bangladesh diplomat with a Canadian connection is facing imminent deportation from the US to Bangladesh where he will be executed after a political trial was held in absentia,” as documented in the Parliament Hill online archive.

“Given this humanitarian issue and that Mr Mohiuddin Ahmed has immediate family in Canada, would the minister be prepared to review this case, to provide Mr Ahmed with the protection this case would warrant and help secure the suspension of his deportation until this case can be reviewed?”

However, Finley assured the members at Parliament Hill that Canada has “one of the most welcoming and fair immigration systems in the world.”

Commonly most people know that hundreds of international victims of torture have found safety in Canada including dissidents, opposition, journalists, writers and academicians.

Nevertheless, this statement has been contradicted by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International. A damning joint report blames Canada to have incarcerated thousands of people (between the ages of 15 and 83), including those with disabilities, on immigration-related grounds every year in often abusive conditions.

“Canada’s abusive immigration detention system is in stark contrast to the rich diversity and the values of equality and justice that Canada is known for globally,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.

Of course, Canada had forced several immigrants to their country of origin, who fled the country after they were brutalised and tortured.

In the case of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen was a victim of rendition and tortured in Syria after the United States turned him over as an Al-Qaeda suspect in 2002.

Arar, a telecommunication engineer was boarding a flight back home to Canada from Tunisia at JFK Airport in New York. He was detained for 12 days in New York and was secretly transferred to Syria.

US authorities alleged he was a member of the international terror network Al Qaeda and said they acted on data supplied by Canadian police.

Amnesty says in Syria, he was held in degrading and inhumane conditions, interrogated, and tortured for a year.

After media and rights groups outcry, Canada was forced to bring him back and had to pay a compensation of $10.5 million.

Similar incidents occurred with dissident Noura Al-Jizawi, a Syrian born immigrant in Canada who was flagged as a security risk when she applied for a Permanent Resident (PR) card. Also, an Egyptian-born Joseph Attar, a Canadian citizen returned home serving 15 years imprisonment in Egypt on spying charges.

In February 2007, Ottawa formally apologised for the role officials may have played in the torture and abuse of three Canadians Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin in Syria in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. A commission of inquiry found that Canadian officials were indirectly responsible for what happened to the three men.

Possibly for now, Nur Chowdhury’s prayer to Allah has kept him away from being guillotined for his crime. The diplomatic engagement to bring the rogue military officer back to Dhaka to face the music of justice remains frustrating for the coming years will be in deep freeze.

(Saleem Samad is an award-winning independent journalist based in Bangladesh. Views expressed are personal. Twitter: @saleemsamad; Email: saleemsamad@hotmail.com)

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 21: The loss of at least four security forces and Police personnel, including three officers, during a joint search operation in the Kokernag forest area of Kashmir's Anantnag district last week, is not new in the history of armed insurgency and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir in the last over 33 years.

Those killed in the deadly attack include Commanding Officer of Rashtriya Rifles 19th battalion, Col Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kokernag, Humayun Muzamil Bhat.

It, however, occurred at a time when the militancy had fallen to its lowest ebb after 2015 and the entire government machinery was celebrating the success of G-20 and many other events and the restoration of peace and normalcy in the Union Territory.

A high-profile three-day symposium-cum-exhibition on the manufacturing, technology and procurement of the Defence and security hardware was in progress in Jammu which was, among others, addressed by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Over a 1,000 militants have been neutralised by the Police and security forces in the last five years. The leadership of all formidable terror outfits has been decimated. Officials claim that the total number of the militants has reduced to around 80 and more than 50 of them are the Pakistani cadres of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

No officer of the rank of Colonel, Major or DSP has died in any encounter or operation in the Kashmir valley since  May 3, 2020 when five soldiers, including a Colonel, were killed in a terror attack at Chanjmulla, Handwara.

In the deep background, four key terror icons were killed inside Pakistan, opening the question on whether the Pak ISI, the handler of key Kashmir separatist groups, is mounting riposte inside the valley.

The casualties at Gadol, Kokernag, came in 40 days of an identical terror attack when three soldiers were killed in the Halan Forest area of Kulgam. Earlier this year, on 14 May, a group of militants was trapped at Sagam, Kokernag. Security forces claimed to have busted their well-established hideout, but all the militants made good their escape.

The operation in Kokernag lasted one full week as a massive deployment of the Police and security forces made every possible attempt to trace and neutralise the terrorists involved in the killing of the three officers. In all, seven bodies have been reportedly recovered. According to the Police, a local 28-year-old militant of LeT, Uzair Khan of Nagam, has also died in the encounter along with an unidentified associate.

In hours of the shootout on September 13, The Resistant Front (TRF), which is believed to be a front for LeT, purportedly claimed that the TRF cadres had done it to avenge the killing of one Muhammad Riyaz alias Abu Qasim of Poonch, who had been shot dead by an unidentified gunman inside a mosque at Rawalakot in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on September 10, 2023.

Media persons and counterinsurgency experts insist that a local Kashmiri militant has never been able to take down the fulcrum of an operation since 1990. Only some soldiers and non-commissioned officers have died in such encounters.

The 28-year-old Uzair Khan who was killed during the Kokernag operation figured in the 'B' category list of the wanted militants. He reportedly disappeared from his village on 25 July 2022. He lived as a militant for only 14 months, with no specialised guerrilla training.

Even the most prominent militant Ashraf Khan alias Maulvi Ashraf of Tengpawa, who carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was appointed as Hizbul Mujahideen's 'Operation Chief', after Riyaz Naikoo's death in an encounter, on 6 May 2020, was equally untrained. He was killed in an encounter at Batkoot Pahalgam on 6 May 2022.

Muhammad Riyaz's involvement had been established in several major terror attacks in Poonch and Rajouri. Pakistani jihadist groups have been holding the Indian intelligence agency RAW responsible for elimination of at least four guerrilla operatives, including Riyaz, in PoK and Pakistan this year.

In a series of five major strikes from 11 October 2021 to 5 May 2023, terrorists killed 24 Indian Army soldiers, including some officers, in Poonch-Rajouri. They did not suffer any damage other than the death of the two Fidayeen who got killed in a suicide attack on an Army camp at Pargal (Rajouri) on August 11, 2022.

The deadliest ambushes were carried out audaciously in Mendhar (Poonch) and Kesari Forest of Rajouri respectively on 20 April 2023 and 5 May 2023. As many as 10 soldiers, including some officers, were killed in these back to back attacks, leaving behind clear footprints of the battle-hardened foreigners.

Videos of almost all such identical ambushes were released subsequently from Pakistan. Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), believed to be a front for JeM, publicly invited the Indian troops into the Rajouri forest claiming that it had set up "several slaughterhouses for them".

The seven deadly ambushes across the Pir Panjal mountain range warrant an altogether new strategy as the battle has shifted from the Valley’s flamboyant, half-baked teens to the professionally trained and well-equipped jihadist cadres with clear material support from Pakistan.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 13: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is currently basking in the glory of her successful trip to India where she not only participated at the G20 summit but also held several bilateral meetings with world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The last one week has been action packed for Bangladesh. The South Asian nation also hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron. 

While Lavrov landed in Dhaka for a day ahead of the summit and held talks with senior leaders including Hasina, Macron paid a two-day visit to the South Asian nation right after the summit.

Lavrov's visit to Dhaka marks the first ever by Russia.

Macron in Dhaka said, "Bangladesh is progressively retrieving its place on the world stage."

Last month, Hasina also attended the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

"The sentiments in Bangladesh are very positive after Prime Minister Hasina's visit to New Delhi for the G20 summit. It has significantly boosted her image in Bangladesh,” senior journalist and political analyst Syed Badrul Ahsan told India Narrative.

"The G20 summit and her engagements with other leaders at the summit have helped the (Bangladesh) Prime Minister garner a lot of goodwill," Ahsan added.

One of the highlights for Bangladesh during the G20 summit has been the US President Joe Biden clicking a selfie with Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed at a time when the US has been increasing its pressure on Dhaka with general elections approaching.

In May, the US Department of State announced visa restrictions against Bangladeshis who undermined the democratic election process at home.

The Business Standard (Bangladesh) (TBS) noted that Biden's "smiling selfie with the premier and her daughter shows that relations are no longer strained."

"While Biden's selfie game isn't questioned, the one with PM Hasina had far-reaching ramifications, being seen as a signal of the thawing relations between the two countries after a somewhat rocky last few months," the newspaper said, adding that it is being considered a morale booster for the ruling Awami League ahead of the national polls slated for January.

The selfie episode went viral on social media not just in Bangladesh but India too.

Ahsan however said that the selfie episode, though on the surface a positive gesture, should not be taken too seriously. "Though one should not read too much into the selfie episode and we do not know whether it marks a change in Bangladesh’s relations with the US, the incident has injected positivity," he said.

Besides Biden's selfie, images of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak kneeling down while talking to Hasina have also taken the Internet by storm.

Thousands of Bangladesh citizens have showered heaps of praise for Hasina. Social media handles were abuzz with such comments.

Analysts said that the world’s increased engagements with Bangladesh in the last few months will further boost Hasina’s image as an astute statesman and a forward-looking leader. Bangladesh, under Hasina, has managed to accelerate its growth rate. In 2022-23, it registered a growth rate of 6.03 per cent, as per provisional estimate. The country is now gearing to exit the list of least developed countries (LDC) in 2026.

Unsurprisingly, the selfie episode has not gone down well with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the primary opposition party in the country. "Hang the selfie around your neck. That will help you a lot. You are trying to tell the people that Biden is with you now," TBS quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as saying.

New Delhi's special invitation to Dhaka to be part of the G20 has also had far reaching implications on India Bangladesh relations. The G20 euphoria had gripped Bangladesh too. The country - the only one from South Asia to be invited - made its G20 debut this year.

"We believe that our honourable Prime Minister's participation at the G20 Summit in New Delhi will add yet another feather to the 'Sonali Adhyay' or 'Golden Chapter' of our bilateral relations," Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said before the summit.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 12: Pakistan has come a full circle from August 2021 when the then Prime Minister Imran Khan welcomed the Taliban in Kabul by saying that it has “broken the chains of slavery”. His comments raised eyebrows across the world after photographs of heavily-armed Taliban fighters swarming and inspecting the presidential palace went viral.

Exactly two years later, Imran Khan’s successor and Pakistan’s interim prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar is dealing with those very groups who took over Kabul. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with close ties to the Taliban regime in Kabul, has unleashed relentless attacks in Pakistan’s north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa almost on a daily basis.

Geopolitical analyst Mark Kinra told India Narrative: “The main task of the interim government is to ensure that elections are held in 90 days. The interim prime minister is close to the army, a known fact, therefore, we know that he will abide by whatever the army says. Considering the political structure of Pakistan, where the army takes decisions on most of the important issues including internal security, under the current arrangement, the Pakistani Army will take full responsibility for security issues in the country”.

Kinra adds that both the current hotspots on the border -- TTP attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral and the skirmish at the Tokhram border are the responsibility of the army.

That Pakistan’s interim government is mostly a helpless bystander to what is happening on the hot Af-Pak border is a sentiment echoed by other experts as well.

Kakar’s hands are bound because he heads a government with a narrow mandate -- a supervisory role that Pakistan goes to the polls in 90 days. A Pakistani activist told India Narrative: “Kakar and Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti along with the entire cabinet are toothless. The decisions are taken by the Pakistani Army in conjunction with the intelligency agencies in GHQ”.

The Pakistani expert said that the TTP has learnt fast from its erstwhile mentors – the Pakistani Army which is believed to have taken nearly $33 billion in aid from the US under the pretext of fighting the war on terror and used the aid to help fund Taliban insurgents on the sly.

“Pakistan and Taliban are on the same page but have different issues and priorities. The TTP is doing to Pakistan – spread radicalism and dismantle the democratic state -- what Pakistan did to Afghanistan”.

In the latest attack, a soldier was killed and six others including civilians were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up on a military vehicle in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday.

The incident took place just days after four soldiers were killed in clashes with TTP militants reportedly infiltrating from across the Afghan border. Some reports have said that the TTP has taken control of several villages inside Pakistan.

Hundreds of TTP militants are believed to have crossed over into Pakistan in Chitral, a sensitive region that borders the Wakhan Corridor and China’s controversial western region of Xinjiang.

To the south of Chitral, the Pakistani border personnel had a firing incident against the Afghan border guards at the Torkham border crossing on September 6. The provocation was the construction of a building on the Afghan side of the border which Pakistan claims runs contrary to the agreements between the two sides. Diplomacy and meetings between Pakistani and Afghan border officials have failed to resolve the issue.

Amid an intensifying diplomatic spat, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch even accused Afghanistan of “These [terrorist] elements are enjoying sanctuaries inside Afghanistan as confirmed by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in its latest report”.

With hands tied, the interim government is bidding its time as Pakistan’s strategic policy of using terrorists as statecraft comes back to haunt it.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed’s presence at the G20 summit right after her trip to Indonesia with the country’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin to participate at the Asean summit could be an indication that she is now preparing for a larger political role.

Wazed was seen putting up regular updates on social media X on the G20 summit from New Delhi.

The mother and daughter duo met world leaders including US President Joe Biden at the summit. Biden in fact even clicked a selfie with Hasina and Wazed.

“Had a wonderful chat with @POTUS @JoeBidenat the #G20 Summit in #NewDelhi. I spoke to him about the importance of #MentalHealth services as a part of comprehensive #PublicHealth, and school psychologists in the education system,” Wazed wrote in a post.

Wazed earlier presented a souvenir to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.

An autism expert, Wazed, who is contesting for election as regional director for South-East Asia Region (SEARO) at World Health Organization (WHO), will seek India’s support for her endorsement.

Her social media handle gives a glimpse of her increased participation in public life amid approaching elections in Bangladesh, which is treading through a critical phase in history as it gears up to exit the list of least developed countries by 2026.

“It is an interesting development and we will have to watch if she takes a larger role and eventually succeeds Hasina and thread on the same path as her mother,” an analyst said.

On Friday, Modi and Hasina held bilateral talks and even signed three memoranda of understanding aimed at boosting ties between the two countries.

This is the first time Bangladesh has been part of the G20 deliberations. India under its G20 presidency invited nine countries including Bangladesh to be part of the G20. Bangladesh is the only South Asian nation to be invited this year. The move is a reflection of Modi’s Neighbourhood Policy.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km long border– the fifth-longest land border in the world. Several states including West Bengal, Assam Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have international borders with Bangladesh.

A peaceful and developing Bangladesh is key for India’s stability and economic progress.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 9: In a major success, Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested three aides of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda from India-Nepal border and Gurugram. According to police, these three absconding shooters were working for gangster Sonu Khatri, a close associate of Rinda.

The accused, arrested by AGFT in coordination with Central agencies, have been identified as Jaskaran Singh, Jograj Singh and Sukhmanjot Singh Brar. Brar was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border and the remaining two were nabbed from Gurugram. They were brought to Punjab on Friday and a heavy police force was deployed at Chandigarh airport to receive them.

Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav said: “In a pan-India operation, AGTF-Punjab in coordination with Central agencies has successfully arrested three absconding shooters handled by gangster Sonu Khatri, a close associate of terrorist Harvinder Rinda. Brar, arrested from the Indo-Nepal border, was attempting to escape to Nepal. All three of them were planning to prepare fake passports to escape abroad from Kathmandu, Nepal. They were involved in the broad daylight shootout at Metro Plaza, Zirakpur. Three foreign-made sophisticated pistols have also been seized by the police.”

The arrested persons were involved in five murders, seven attempts to murder and heinous crimes like carjacking, extortion.

Additional IG Sandeep Goel, who was leading the operation, said that preliminary investigations have revealed that arrested accused persons used to commit sensational crimes in Punjab on the directions of Sonu Khatri, and after committing the crime they used to take refuge in hideouts located in different parts of India and Nepal. “Hideouts were arranged by foreign handler Sonu Khatri, who also used to pay the shooters on a regular basis via Hawala transactions,” he added.

Meanwhile Punjab police on Friday also conducted raids at suspected hideouts of associates and active supporters of gangsters across the state.

Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said: “Today’s searches were planned after questioning people arrested during recently busted modules of gangsters” several persons have also been detained for questioning during the operation for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession. The whole operation was planned to disrupt the nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers based in India and abroad.”

822 places of associates, relatives and friends linked with various gangsters were raided by over 350 parties of Punjab police involving about 2000 police personnel during this operation in all the 28 police districts in the state.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 7: India is hosting the G20 summit for the first time. From a global perspective, it can mark a historic turning point for the G20, and India can lead an inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented and decisive G20. 

Apart from this, the G20 meeting being held in India is also important for the world because this meeting is going to be held at a time when international politics is witnessing landmark shifts. Russia and the US are locking horns over Ukraine and China and the US are similarly at odds over Taiwan. Along with the African Union, the whole world is keenly transfixed over this world gathering.

In the midst of all this, a fierce targeted propaganda is being spread on social media by users linked to Pakistan and Khalistani elements to discredit India’s presidency. They are peddling fake news, utter lies and disinformation about G-20, Kashmir and Punjab-Khalistan. In this lie, from retired senior officers of the Pakistan Army to media institutions are involved. This report has been based on the findings of Delhi-based portal www.dfrac.org lays bare the nexus of Khalistan supporters and social media users of Pakistan and exposes how and what toxicity they are introducing in the social media.

Khalistani's Twitter storm against G-20

Recently, slogans in support of Khalistan were written at many metro stations in New Delhi. The slogans written by extremist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) claimed that Delhi will soon become Khalistan. A video of SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu with this slogan is going viral on social media. In this video, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is seen threatening India and also warns G-20 countries.

This video of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu has been captioned – "#G20India2023 #Khalistan RPG attack on Delhi Metro stations – "The fight for #G20 continues till 9/11 – SFJ". Along with this, a message has also been written on the letterhead of SFJ.

Several bot accounts have been created to share the post of Sikhs for Justice. Thousands of copy-paste tweets were shared in a short span of time sharing SFJ’s post and hashtag.

Copy paste pattern of pro-Khalistan poster

The users who shared this poster of SFJ and the video of Gurpatwant Singh were copy-pasting the same caption. Not only were posts being posted by these users, but they were also being retweeted. About 400 to 500 tweets have been done by each user. There are some users who have tweeted more than 1,000. 

It seemed that these users wanted to trend the hashtag through maximum tweets and retweets.

It has been observed that whenever any propaganda of Khalistani supporters is run on social media, massive bot accounts are created to share pro-Khalistan hashtags and posts. 

Earlier this year, over 300 accounts were created to circulate videos of SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to Australia in February-April 2023. 

On the other hand more than 100 new accounts were created to share hashtags like #G20IgnoringHRViolationsInIIOJK, #G20_Boycott_Meeting_in_IIOJK.

SFJ terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's threat to India on G-20

Accounts created to increase Khalistani propaganda have shared Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's video as well as his audio message. 

In the audio clip, he is threatening India. 

In the audio, Pannu is provoking Kashmiri Muslims and asking them to leave the Kashmir valley and reach Delhi to block the capital in the midst of the G-20 summit. 

Not only this, Pannu is also threatening to march to Pragati Maidan after Friday prayers.

These tweets openly threaten that the SFJ will hoist the Khalistani flag at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. 

At the same time, an appeal has also been made in these posts to release Pritpal Kaka, otherwise be ready for "action" on G-20. 

Pakistani officials and users in support of Khalistan:
Shafaat Shah (@INFANTRY28)

There is a user named Shafaat Shah (@INFANTRY28) on Twitter. He has 32.2K followers on Twitter. He has made 37.8K tweets. He has stated his location as Lahore-Pakistan. According to his bio, he is a retired Lieutenant General of Pakistan. He has been Military Secretary (MS) to the President of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Jordan.

Shafaat Shah's tweet on G-20

Shafaat Shah has tweeted a lot on G-20 being held in India. In a tweet, he wrote- "It seems to be a deliberate move by China to bind India in two equally bad choices – to end its pride or end the G20 summit. At least the G-20 summit will be held in splits."

Shafaat Shah's tweet in support of Khalistan

Shafaat Shah keeps tweeting in support of Khalistan. On many occasions, he has supported the demand of Khalistan and addressed Khalistanis as freedom fighters. He wrote in a tweet: "The Sikhs fighting for a separate motherland, Khalistan, are not terrorists but freedom fighters and they are the majority among the 24 million Sikhs living in India and all the 3 million Sikhs living abroad. The results of the referendum largely reflect this. For how long will BJP/RSS deceive the world by calling the freedom struggle in Jammu-Kashmir, Khalistan, Nagaland, Northern States as terrorism?"

In a tweet, Shafaat Shah writes that "Pakistan can open an embassy for Khalistan".

In a tweet, Shafaat wrote "Khalistan is a reality and a matter of time. Even if Amritpal Singh is arrested, many such leaders will come forward. The fascist regime of BJP/RSS will not be able to suppress this freedom movement like in Jammu and Kashmir, because Sikhs all over the world support separation from India and keep the struggle burning. 

"Even today, referendums are going on in the QUAD of India and Australia."

Shafaat Shah’s fake news in support of Khalistan

Fake News-1

Shafaat Shah has also spread fake news many times to support Khalistan. He claimed in a tweet that during the farmers' protest in 2021, the Khalistan flag was hoisted on the Red Fort of India.

Fact Check

According to media reports, the flag that was hoisted on the Red Fort was not the flag of Khalistan, but the flag of the holy Nishan Sahib of Sikhism. Nishan Sahib is considered the sacred flag of the Khalsa Panth, which is found in all the Gurdwaras of the country, besides it is also the sacred flag of the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army.

Fake News-2

Shafaat Shah claimed that posters in support of Khalistan were put up at Times Square in New York. Posting a photo, he wrote "Khalistan movement's banner at the most visited site of New York’s Times Square".

Fact Check:

The investigation of the photo revealed that this photo of New York's Time Square has been edited and a Khalistan poster has been placed on it. In the original photo there is a poster of HSBC Bank.

Usman Mughal (@Usman_Moghal)

A user named Usman Mughal has 1 lakh 61 thousand followers on Twitter. Usman has claimed in a tweet written in Urdu that "After China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Russia has also refused to participate in the G-20 conference to be held in India. Pakistan's foreign policy is working."
 
Fact Check:

Usman Mughal's claim is fake. No G-20 member country has refused to participate in the G-20 summit to be held in India. From the Chinese side, Prime Minister Li Qiang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and heads of states of various countries will participate.

Singh-M (@reach2msingh)

There is a user named Singh-M on Twitter. This user has put the Indian tricolour in his profile photo and has written 'India' in the location. This user has spread fake and misleading information about the member countries joining G-20.

This user claimed in a post that China, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will not attend the G-20 meeting to be held in India.

This user has since made similar claims about Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey in separate tweets.

Fact Check:

According to media reports, Prime Minister Li Qiang will attend the G-20 organised in India from the Chinese side. Apart from this, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will come to India. On the other hand, it is being claimed about Egypt that it too will not join the G-20, but the fact is that Egypt is not a part of the G-20 countries at all.

Foreign organisations involved in protest against G-20 held in India

IAMC's anti-G20 campaign

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has been actively promoting the agenda ahead of the G20 summit in India. IAMC tweeted about US President Joe Biden's visit to India for the summit on August 24, saying- "Minority oppression is skyrocketing in the country".

Indian American Muslim Council also organised a zoom meeting where they talk about organizing a session on the following points:

1-Dangers of India hosting G-20 summit

2-The abuses that took place after Modi’s visit to America

2-The ongoing political implications of US support for the Indian government

4-How to Get Involved and Take Action in America

It was found that after @IAMCuncil's tweet on the webinar session, many US handles have tweeted to invite and register more and more people for the session organized by @IAMCouncil. Those who shared @IAMCuncil's tweet included Suchitra Vijayan (author and founder of Police Project and Watch the State), Arun Sethi (American civil and political rights author, human rights lawyer), Hindu American Foundation, Muslims for Just Futures, Deepa Iyer (South Asian American writer, lawyer, and activist).

It was seen that the Indian American Muslim Council started doing anti-India propaganda as soon as India got the hosting of G-20. Even when the news of G-20 tourist group meeting in Kashmir broke, @IAMCouncil started its agenda and started tweeting against the meeting in Kashmir.

@IAMCuncil's posts on the G20 attracted massive attention as the account has over 1,78,000 followers on Twitter.

The New Democratic Party's anti-G-20 campaign:

The Canadian political party "The New Democratic Party" (NDP) has called for a boycott of the G-20 on Kashmir and India. A search of the official website of the NDP reveals a registration page urging Justin Trudeau to stand up against minorities in India and boycott the G-20.

In the form, the NDP wrote, "Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are calling on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government to: Boycott any G-20 event held in Chandigarh and Kashmir banning entry of BJP officials from India who have made threats against minorities and elected officials in Canada, and ensuring the safety of Canadians abroad."

One text read – "Stand with Jagmeet Singh and tell Justin Trudeau and the Liberals: Canada must take a strong stand on human rights violations in India."

It was found that after NDP's appeal to boycott G20, several Pakistani news media outlets published articles on it. They include some big names like The Siasat Daily, The Nation, Pakistan Observer, and Associated Press of Pakistan.

On the other hand, the NDP’s appeal was promoted on Twitter by the Indian American Muslim Council (@IAMCuncil) and Pakistan’s Dunya News. After which the Pakistani Twitter army took the lead and shared this news fiercely.

On March 21, 2023, Khalistani organisation, World Sikh Organisation (WSO) wrote a letter to support the NDP's call to boycott G-20 events in India. 

WSO President Tajinder Singh Sidhu mentioned in the letter that the Indian government lacks the credibility and moral authority to chair the G-20 and host the G-20 countries.

Source: IANS

The post Pak-Khalistani social media army turns to lies, hate to discredit G20 summit in India appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Sep 7: India’s special invitation to Bangladesh as a guest for the G20, this year has boosted New Delhi’s image in the neighbouring country while expanding goodwill. Bangladesh’s participation in G20 comes amid US’ increased watch over Dhaka as general elections approach.

Earlier, this year, Washington had threatened visa restrictions against Bangladeshis who undermined the democratic election process at home.

Notwithstanding these issues coming up, New Delhi has remained on course with its bilateral dealings with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who will arrive in New Delhi on Friday to attend the G20 summit, will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi prior to the mega event.

“This is a message to the West that India will continue to follow its own foreign policy trajectory based on its own assessment. The Modi-Hasina meeting is of special importance as it is slated to take place before the Prime Minister’s meeting with US President Joe Biden,” a foreign policy analyst told India Narrative. The meeting also reflects India’s focus on its Neighbourhood First policy while strengthening New Delhi’s role in the Global South.

“We believe that our honourable Prime Minister’s participation at the G20 Summit in New Delhi will add yet another feather to the ‘Sonali Adhyay’ or ‘Golden Chapter’ of our bilateral relations,” Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said.

Bangladesh’s participation in G20 has given Hasina a platform to showcase Dhaka as a pivotal point in the Indo Pacific policy frame. Right after the G20 summit, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Dhaka. Macron will be the first French President to be visiting the country in over three decades. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov too will be in Dhaka on a two day visit just before the G20 summit. Back home, Bangladesh’s participation in the G20 summit will give Hasina a huge edge.

This is the first time Bangladesh has been part of the G20 forum. But that is not all. It is the only South Asian nation to have been invited for the G20. Naturally, Bangladesh sees this as a special honour. Bangladesh’s participation in G20 meetings throughout the year has pushed its narrative on the global stage, amid Dhaka’s preparations to exit the list of the least developed countries by 2026.

Andalib Elias, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata in an interview to ANI last month said, “We are an invited country but we have been actively participating in G20. This year, we have seen that India has taken G20 to a newer and higher level. As the President, India has achieved new goals and targets.”

Elias noted that while Bangladesh is not a member of G20, the decisions taken at the summit will have an impact the world over.

“When one of our closest friends becomes the President of that organisation, that definitely helps us in multiple ways,” he added.

Besides Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also been invited.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 6: Pakistan’s economy has been in the news for almost two years now – rising inflation, food riots, chasing the International Monetary Fund (IMF), selling off national assets and asking friendly nations to boost dipping foreign exchange reserves.

The latest, and possibly the gravest crisis, that confronts Pakistan are the vociferous mass protests that have engulfed the nation over exorbitant electricity bills. The protests which started from Rawalakot in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) have now spread across the country with people burning the bills in street-level protests. Electricity prices have doubled in just three months while fuel prices have touched all-time highs.

The protests over cost of living take place along with sectarian tensions in Gilgit Baltistan, protests of “azadi” in POK as well as a raging nationalist movement in Balochistan that has the powerful Pakistani Army in its crosshairs.

India Narrative speaks with London-based financial analyst Meerain Baloch to take stock of the Pakistani economy and the impact of a rash of international investment announcements in Balochistan.

Baloch says that there is little hope for an economic revival in Pakistan but China and the Western nations will not let it wither away either. He says that international confidence in the country is very low as bond ratings in the international markets continue to remain at Triple C, “which means that changes of default are very high and there is lack of confidence in the government”.

IN: Do you think interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who hails from Balochistan, will be able to manage Pakistan’s economy?

MB: Kakar has nothing to do with Balochistan as he has been nurtured by the Pakistani Army. Nobody knew him till a few years back. He is a puppet in the hands of the army which is managing the economy of Pakistan.

Kakar will find it difficult to salvage the economy as Pakistani agriculture is completely destroyed. Sindh has not been able to overcome the impact of floods from last year and now both Punjab and Sindh are again facing flooding.

The cotton industry lies in tatters over the last five years due to energy and power disruptions, part of which happened due to Baloch fighters destroying gas pipelines. A lot of the cotton industry shifted to Bangladesh over the years.

With nearly 220 million people and a handful of billions of dollars in foreign exchange, Pakistan will find it very difficult to save itself.

IN: Talking about the Pakistani Army, it is an important constituent of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in partnership with the government to invite foreign investment. What is the role of the army in an investment vehicle and do you think this model will be successful?

MB: The decline in the growth and reserves has pushed the Pakistani Army to look for yield elsewhere. The Pakistani Army is more like a family office or hedge fund that owns dozens of portfolios of real estate, cement factories, fertilisers industry, construction and other industries.

The Pakistani Army made fertilizer that was used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.

The army heavily relied on the aid from the US and other Western countries during the Afghan wars so got a billion-dollar worth of aid.

Now it is after millions of acres of land for agricultural purposes with a 50-50 profit-sharing between the government and the army. This is extremely strange as the only job for any army in the world is to protect the borders and work under the ministry of defence. Although the court has ruled it illegal, I am sure it would eventually be transferred to the army. However, in the case of Pakistan, there’s a state within the state which is more powerful.

IN: Despite the IMF funding, investment by Arab nations and loan rollovers by China, why do you feel the Pak economy is still in terrible shape?

MB: The boost by the IMF has surely helped the country and improved the confidence that domestic investors hold in the short run. But the long run risk still exists which includes high spending, corruption and high double-digit inflation which is close to 28 per cent with slowing growth. Meanwhile, the growth is less than 0.5 per cent at the moment.

However, the bailout agreement is pushing the prices of energy which are already very high for ordinary citizens. The only real effect on the economy will come from the government’s economic policy which does not seem to be changing anytime soon. I feel the 23rd intervention of the IMF is not the last one.

Also, we do not know the terms and conditions of the Chinese loans.

IN: Will the investment by a Saudi sovereign fund in Balochistan help improve the plight of the Baloch?

MB: The investment from the Saudi sovereign fund is merely to look for yield in the higher interest rates economy. I do not think it will bring any positive impact on the People of Balochistan. The Pakistani government has been exploiting the resources of Balochistan since 1952 but the positive impact is zero for the local people. Sui Gas which was discovered in Balochistan is used in every other province in Pakistan but the people of Balochistan do not have access to their own minerals or resources nor do they get any share of it.

I do not think the Saudi investment would be any different than other international investments.

Look at Chinese investment in Balochistan. Has it made any difference? There is no power in the province. There is no railway for trade to be carried out from the Gwadar port. Even the coastal highway is very narrow and does not have the capacity for trade.

Despite the hype over Gwadar, Balochistan is nowhere close to being a trade centre or an industrial area. Balochistan’s only industrial city – Hub that has a lot of industry, is close to Karachi where most of the industries are owned by the army. These include PVC pipeline companies, Fauji cement and marble industry to name a few.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

The post ‘Pakistani Army is like a hedge fund that is running the country’ appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Sep 5: As media attention about the upcoming G20 Summit is striding towards crescendo, the misinformation campaign has also accelerated into overdrive. Social media warriors from both China and Pakistan are spinning a web of lies to discredit India’s hosting of the world’s mega event  in its capital.

There has been a massive buzz on social media about the G20 summit, but according to the fact-checking website www.dfrac.org, several users are running anti-India campaigns using the hashtag of G20.

Accounts being operated by Chinese and Pakistanis are linked to propaganda networks that are then connected to Communist Party of China and Pakistan’s military wings.

Chinese Twitter Army’s Propaganda on G20

Many Chinese accounts have posted on Facebook regarding the G 20 summit and Kashmir. One user named Eng Hui James Tan claimed on Facebook: “Both countries are disappointed over India ‘s Presidency of G20 summit this year. China has stated that it will not participate, and Modi’s reaction seems to be threatening”.

Several Chinese accounts on Twitter and Facebook have shared the tweet of Pakistan’s propaganda arm — Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) — on G20. These tweets stated: “The countries refused to participate in the G20 meeting in India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).”

Later, several Chinese accounts shared the screenshot of @ForumStrategic’s tweet on various platforms including Twitter and Facebook.

A Chinese user named @hexieshehui1 retweeted a tweet from @ForumStrategic and wrote: “China’s non-participation in the G20 meeting in Kashmir is due to the regional dispute with India on one side and support for Pakistan on the other. Other Islamic countries have expressed support for Pakistan on religious grounds.”

Another Chinese account named Ou Mei Zhen (Uncle Shun) posted on Facebook with the caption: “Modi is ashamed, and he is also “threatening” China!”. The account also shared a tweet by Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) on G20.

Subsequently, several Chinese accounts started posting screenshots of the Pakistan Strategic Forum on G20.

Propaganda by Pakistani users over G20

Apart from the G-20, numerous Pakistani users continue to run anti-India propaganda regarding Kashmir in the Chinese language. Here is the analysis of three Pakistani users.

ImranGhazali (@ImranGhazaliPK):

Imran Ghazali (@ImranGhazaliPK) is a Twitter account with 123k followers. The account claims in its bio that he is the Digital Head of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. He also works for several other organisations, which are mentioned in his bio. Many of these accounts have been withheld in India i.e. restricted in India. Accounts such as  @GovtofPakistan and @alifailaanpk.are also included.

Imran Ghazali has a considerable number of followers, more than 123,000. Majority of these followers are from Pakistan. Among the admirers and followers of Imran Ghazali, the highest number of users are supporters of the former Pakistani PM Imran Khan.

A video was posted from this Twitter account with a caption written in Chinese. The video allegedly depicts harassment in Kashmir. This video was captioned: “The suffering of the people of Kashmir began on 27 October 1947 when Indian troops landed at IIOJK after New Delhi suspended the special status of IIOJK on 5 August by revoking Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution and their number increased”.

Imran Ghazali’s tweet on Kashmir in the Chinese language has been liked by the official account of former Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul Wazir, Government of Pakistan. Apart from this, several Pakistani accounts have also liked the post.

Moreover, the video posted by Imran Ghazali was shared by other Pakistani users as well with captions in the Chinese language.

MarsPlanet (@MarsPlanet16):

There is a Twitter account named “MarsPlanet” (@MarsPlanet16) with 4148 followers, and it has posted 49,400 tweets so far. The account’s cover photo features an image of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. This account usually tweets in Urdu and Chinese languages. Notably majority of the tweets are in Chinese language for running propaganda over Kashmir.

Mars Planet has posted a controversial map. In this map, he has depicted Pakistan as extending up to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Not only this, Kashmir, Gujarat, some parts of Himachal, some parts of Rajasthan, the capital New Delhi, and Haryana have been displayed as part of Pakistan on this map. In this map, Punjab is portrayed as Khalistan.

Mars planet shared this map and wrote: “InshaAllah Kashmir is about to escape from Indian brutality. China has restored India’s withdrawal from Kashmir and restoration of Article 370 to previous positions. If not, we will occupy the next Kashmir. Now the Indian government is on edge but next is Kashmir freedom”.

In another tweet in Chinese, Mars Planet wrote that the Muslims of Kashmir are looking towards China for freedom and China has become quite significant for the Kashmiri people.

“China must help Kashmiri people while otherwise Indian atrocities are killing, beating, and robbing Kashmiri people every day. Now, Kashmiris are looking to China to free them from India’s brutal rule” mentioned in another tweet.

Donnee China (@donneechina):

“There is a user on Twitter named Donee China (@donneechina). This user consistently tweets in the Chinese language about Kashmir. While sharing a poster, Donnee China wrote: “On August 5th, we commemorate Kashmir Day, a day of great significance. On this day, we express our solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters facing enormous challenges. The Kashmir issue transcends national borders; it is an issue that touches the heart of humanity and has profound significance in the Islamic world”.

In a tweet, Donne China wrote: “Kashmiris to celebrate Jammu Martyrs’ Day on 6th November Kashmiris will celebrate Jammu Martyrs’ Day on 6th November. The day is held annually to commemorate the massacre of thousands of Jammu Muslims killed by Dogra forces in November 1947”.

Donee China’s entire Timeline is flooded with tweets over Pakistan and Kashmir.  He has tweeted specifically more than 7 times about Kashmir in the Chinese language. In these tweets, he has largely run propaganda on Kashmir.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

The post Desperate China-Pak cyber warriors in overdrive to undermine India ahead of G-20 appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Islamabad, Sep 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan’s political turmoil with a likely delay in general elections has once again led to deepening economic crisis with the (Pakistani) rupee taking a beating.

Since August 14, when the interim government took charge under Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the (Pakistani) rupee has lost more than Rs 13 to a US dollar.

On August 14 the rupee, which was valued at just below 294 against a US dollar, has now breached the 305 mark against the greenback.

Amid continuous fall in the value of the currency, Islamabad further raised petrol price by (P) Rs 14.91 per litre. The price of high-speed diesel (HSD) was increased by Rs18.44 per litre.

With this increase, the price of petrol in Pakistan has now touched (P)Rs 305.36 per litre from (P) Rs 290.45 and for HSD, it has surged to (P)Rs 311.84 per litre from Rs 293.40.

Electricity tariff has been steadily increasing as well. The increase in electricity and fuel charges are in line with the International Monetary Fund’s pre-conditions for the $3 billion financial assistance package.

The worst impacted are the common citizens. With rising inflation, many in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Rawalpindi have now taken to the streets to protest. That apart the surge in power charges has also led to closure of many indigenous small and medium factories.

While pressure is building on the caretaker government to lower the electricity prices, Islamabad will find it tough to take any decision, even as it promised to look into the matter.

“It is bound by the IMF mandate, there is little that the government can do,” an analyst told India Narrative. Any reversal of the decision could jeopardize the bailout package which Pakistan desperately needs.

“These are hard times, indeed. Too many people are hurting too much. This will not only leave economic scars, it will leave social and psychological scars as well. The state is still not giving help to the people. It is not a high enough priority,” local newspaper Dawn noted.

The analyst added that the situation is set to become grimmer with elections now being delayed.

The South Asian nation is battling its worst economic crisis since independence. Unfortunately, the IMF deal will not ease the woes of the common people or even businesses anytime soon.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

The post Pakistan stares at the abyss as IMF conditionalities bite, social unrest also begins to simmer appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Aug 28: So, how many ports is China building in Pakistan’s conflicted province Balochistan? Surprisingly, it could be as many as three and all in Pakistan’s poorest province of Balochistan.

For the world, it is the Gwadar port that is in the spotlight. However, Baloch organisations say China is interested in building military ports at Jiwani and Sonmiani while the one at Gwadar is most likely to remain a part for commercial purposes.

The Jiwani port lies barely 35 kms from the Iran border to Pakistan’s west while Sonmiani lies in the opposite direction as it is located in the Baloch industrial township of Hub, close to Karachi -- one of the biggest commercial ports in Asia.

India Narrative speaks with Jamal Nasir Baloch, the head of Foreign Affairs department of the Free Baloch Movement (FBM) -- a political party seeking to regain independence for a Baloch nation usurped by Pakistan in March 1948.

Baloch says: “China is keen to construct a naval base in Jiwani which is sandwiched between Iran and Gwadar, and also build a submarine base in Sonmiani in Balochistan near the commercial port of Karachi”. He adds that Gwadar, which has been speculated to be a military port for China in global eyes, is likely to remain a commercial port.

Islamabad had given away Gwadar to the Chinese State-owned China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), the builder of the Gwadar port, under a 40-year lease in 2017.  COPHC had been building the port under President Xi Jinping’s ambitious initiative to link China and Pakistan through a vast network of roads, railway, pipelines and power projects under the $62 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Baloch says: “We believe that Gwadar port is for the benefit of China which wants to protect its energy interests by bypassing the Malacca Strait. Therefore, to be able to protect its energy and commercial interests in Gwadar, China wants two more -- a naval base in Jiwani and a submarine base in Sonmiani”.

Both the ports will be on either side of the Gwadar port, lending it the security Beijing needs to secure its energy supplies from the Gulf region, just in case regional powers in South Asia and South-East Asia block the Malacca Strait with support from Western powers.

Baloch says that it was in 2018 that more than a dozen Chinese PLA officers met officers of the Pakistani Army in Jiwani. “China regularly sent batches of military officers to Jiwani and took soil samples as well”. The plans were to build a wall and cordon off the entire peninsula after relocating the local people from Jiwani.

Regarding China’s submarine base in Sonmiani, which lies to Pakistan’s east, Baloch says this lagoon is suitable for an underground submarine base as it offers added protection. “It is a naturally secure area”, he emphasises.

Sonmiani is also important because it is close to Balochistan’s industrial town of Hub and boasts of the Sonmiani flight test range from where Pakistan has been test-firing its nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

Baloch adds that despite the initial research and travel by Chinese military officers, China stopped the construction in both Jiwani and Sonmiani after Beijing noticed a financially-strapped Islamabad slide towards the West.

“But we think that the stoppage of work on the ports is only temporary. China is waiting for stability to return to the Pakistani foreign policy so that it can reassure itself that Islamabad is tilting back towards Beijing. Thereafter it will begin work on the two military ports”, Baloch stresses.

The FBM activist says that the Baloch believe that the West will not be able to prevent Pakistan from gravitating towards China because most of the Pakistani Army officers, except the senior-most officers, hate the US. Another reason for his confidence is that China has been making efforts to bring Iran and Pakistan  closer against the Baloch community -- currently the only opposition to Chinese ports and CPEC investment.

With the Baloch community scattered on both sides of the border, called the Goldsmith Line, and maintaining close ties, the two nations are weary. Moreover,  the Baloch armed groups have provided stout resistance to the Pakistani Army, killing dozens of  soldiers in almost daily, and sometimes audacious, attacks.

Underscoring that all three ports are being built by China in Balochistan against a simmering local sentiment, Baloch says, “China has provided drones for attack, forensic support as well as surveillance tools to the Pakistani security forces against us. Just think, why is China investing so many billions in a place where there is no drinking water or power supply but ample hostility?”

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

The post Baloch organisations fear China will build two naval bases in Pakistan appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Aug 28: On 5-6 August the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia organised peace talks on Ukraine. More than 40 countries, including India, the United States, and European countries, Brazil, South Africa, and China participated in them, but not Russia. The Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah was led by Andriy Yermak, presidential adviser and head of the president’s office. The basis of the talks was the Ukrainian 10-points peace proposal.

Yermak is later reported to have remarked that the summit in Jeddah will enter history as a “rehearsal of a future world, which has no place for stone-age aggression”. The talks in Jeddah were, predictably, not expected to yield any statement or document. But the participants agreed to hold another meeting of political advisers within about six weeks. A couple of months prior to the talks the kingdom had hosted Ukrainian president Volodimir Zelensky who had addressed the Arab League summit ongoing then, explaining the Ukrainian position.

Following the talks, a senior Ukrainian official told the media that the weekend’s talks in Saudi Arabia had dealt a “huge blow” to Russia, while Russian Permanent Envoy to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said that “By definition, it was far from real peace-oriented efforts since a major actor -- Russia -- wasn’t invited. It made no sense at all…”

Obviously, inviting only one party to a conflict to a meeting to resolve the same conflict is a non-starter. Having just entered into a truce with archrival Iran earlier this year, Saudis would know this well. So, what was the Jeddah meeting all about?

There are two plausible explanations: One is for Saudi Arabia to reclaim its leadership of the region where mediating has become a calling card for such leadership; the second is to show up Saudi Arabia and China as the leaders of the non-aligned or “neutral world” – that is primarily those countries who have maintained neutrality on the Ukraine war and are mostly from the Global South.

As change has been sweeping through KSA and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the country under the de facto rule of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Sultan or MBS, as he is popularly known, has encountered numerous challenges in its foreign policy. The war in Yemen, the Arab Spring, the spat with Qatar, the strain in relations with the US and Turkey, together with internal challenges of corruption, employment and a burgeoning youth population, have necessitated a rethink. This has been manifested in the way the Saudis have reached out to Qatar, reinstated Syria into the Arab League, mended fences with Turkey and capped all of this with its rapprochement with Iran earlier this year facilitated by China. Along with this, MBS also seeks to reclaim the mantle of regional leadership, which the kingdom is well endowed to.

Peace-making or mediation is a key part of expanding a country’s geopolitical profile and the region is no stranger to it. Qatar is still basking in the glory of facilitating the US-Taliban peace accords, the UAE has played a behind the scenes role to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan, Turkey helped broker the Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine. Now it is the turn of Saudi Arabia. The Ukraine war has further opened an opportunity for KSA as it has pushed oil prices and given the world’s largest crude exporter a leverage over both the US and Russia. While the former needs to maintain low oil prices with President Joe Biden moving into election year, Russia relies on its oil and gas exports to finance its Ukraine operations.

Hosting an event like the Jeddah talks projects the kingdom as a responsible, neutral, and capable power not just in the region or in the Muslim world but as a global one; simultaneously, with no strings attached. And not without reason. If Ukraine talks held in Copenhagen couple of months earlier had only around 15 countries present, then Saudi Arabia managed to get 42 countries together, with more participation from countries with a neutral stand on the war, like the African countries, together with others like India and Brazil.

Even India was represented at a higher level by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at Jeddah, than it had been at Copenhagen. Jeddah also became the venue where the Ukrainian delegation held more than 30 bilateral meetings with participating countries.

The icing on the cake of the Jeddah talks, however, was undoubtedly the presence of China, which was represented by its Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui. China had at the beginning of this year put forth its 12-point peace formula which critics say was not a peace deal, as it put no pressure on Russia, but merely put forth China’s position on the war. Western countries had rejected it and in turn, Beijing had refrained from attending the Copenhagen meeting.

However, in Jeddah, China was a major presence, much to the delight of Western countries, where it patiently heard out the Ukraine proposal. Like Saudi Arabia, China too does not have any expectation of any concrete result. Russian analyst Alexander Gabuev has described China’s peace proposal as a document that “is sooner a rebuttal to Western allegations that China has been a silent accomplice to Russia, and an attempt to bolster its image as a responsible world power in the eyes of developing countries.” This also seems true of China’s participation at Jeddah.

The Arab Barometer polling of MENA residents undertaken between October 2021 and July 2022 found that overall, China’s ratings in the MENA region had improved and “the U.S. consistently lags behind China in the view of respondents to the 12-country survey….”  A similar survey of 28 African countries in 2021-2022 show that on average, half of respondents (51%) rate the economic & political influence of China as positive. It is to this gallery no doubt, that, along with Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and China were reaching out to. Of course, like much of the world both the latter would like to see an end to the war. But both know that will take some time coming. “We have many disagreements and we have heard different positions, but it is important that our principles are shared,” Li Hui told Reuters at the end of the talks. 

Following the Jeddah meet, China’s Global Times quoted Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University as saying that China’s attendance of the conference demonstrates its considerable influence and respect from all parties. In other words, Saudi Arabia clearly understands that without China’s participation, the impact of the talks would be diminished, and the results obtained would be less significant.

One of the consequences of the Ukraine war has been that the Global South has made its voice heard; it is too powerful an entity now to be dragged into one or the other camp. This is the powerhouse that Ukraine wants to reach out to, and one that both the Saudis and the Chinese are tapping into. “The peaceful resolution method actively promoted by China and Saudi Arabia and other countries is the most appropriate and least damaging approach,” the Global Times concluded. Jeddah, it therefore seems, has served as a good platform for both Saudi Arabia and China to raise their standing in the international arena by projecting themselves as concerned, responsible, peace-loving states, something that is useful for both power projection and larger geopolitical goals.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 26: Iranian media was triumphant on Friday. "Victorious" was written in many Persian synonyms in various government-aligned newspapers. "Knock the Dollar" heralded Tehran Times, the English media organ of the ruling Ayatollahs. Others called for shunning the yoke of the IMF, World Bank, and crippling sanctions. "Isolation ends" and "US Imperialism bites the dust" was the message of an editorial in another pro-government Persian broadsheet.

The moment, as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, will help realise the resistance economy (Iran calls the economy sustaining despite US sanctions as 'resistance').

"Although imperialism seeks to hamper our economic growth, this growth lies in linking with independent economies in the region that can help realise resistance economy in the country," he said, referring to a set of principles set by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to make Iran’s economy sanction-proof.

Raisi said Iran's accession to BRICS didn't happen by chance. Rather, it was the result of a policy chosen by his administration and months-long quiet efforts by the cabinet. He also added that Iran firmly supports the successful efforts of BRICS to reduce reliance on the US dollar, use national currencies as well as its mechanisms for payment and financial settlement.

Due to its unique transit location, extensive energy resources as well as high levels of expertise in various fields, namely industrial production as well as nano and medical technologies, Iran has a special case for cooperation, joint economic projects and investment with BRICS member states.

More than any other Middle East states, Iran's inclusion in the grouping has strong implications for the region and the world.

Aftermath of An Entry

Soon after Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran came under crippling sanctions, foreign meddling, acts of war and aggression, sabotage, piracy, and espionage by Western regimes. However, Iran, unlike another Islam-oriented country Pakistan, has withstood the tests of time. It nevertheless has been navigating in world affairs as an isolated surfer. Of late, courtesy friends like India, Russia, and very recently China, it shrugged off the shell and has started asserting its role in West Asia and beyond. The entry of Iran into Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS – two most powerful non-West blocs – will bring Iran into the world mainstream, ending its already withering isolation completely.

Since the onset of the 21st century, Iran has been in the news because of its nuclear programme that it claimed to be limited to civilian purposes, and the West and US doubt it to be productive of nukes. Iran had given in to concessions in return for a deal with the US and five other powers in what was then called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – a landmark agreement that was supposed to give Iran much desired sanctions relief. But, it was abandoned by President Trump and incumbent Joe Biden will now have to deal with emboldened Tehran to come to terms equally agreed upon. The US muscle-flexing will no longer extract any leeway from Iran. Signals of it were evident in Friday’s coverage of BRICS in Iranian media.

Geographically, Iran's entry will help facilitate not only trade but development projects along the International North–South Transport Corridor.

Already a route that helps dodge Western sanctions (providing an alternative to the Suez Canal, for example), three out of four countries involved are now BRICS members: Iran, Russia, and India.

China could also play a larger role here by strengthening already existing roads and railways via its Belt-and-Road Initiative.

The strengthening of the corridor will make Iran an attractive partner to have formal diplomacy and economic ties with, especially for countries wanting to use the corridor for their trade facilitation.

Another important implication for Iran, the Middle East and the US will be that as per the partnership protocol of BRICS, Saudi Arabia and UAE will be discouraged from allowing the US to use their side of the Persian Gulf to disrupt Iran’s economic initiatives. In addition, BRICS initiatives will seek to further develop trade routes within the Persian Gulf — reinforcing existing ports and likely creating new ones to bolster Iran and Saudi Arabia’s newfound diplomatic relations.

Judging by this, it now becomes very apparent why China was focused on meditating ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year: A stable region would facilitate trade within the BRICS alliance while also rendering the US forces imposing Washington’s will useless.

One of the most fervent foreign policies of Iran in the Middle East has been supporting the cause of Palestinian statehood. Even at the BRICS forum, President Raeisi didn’t forget to mention it. He denounced the ongoing racist policies, stating that crises arising from oppression, occupation, hegemony and state terrorism, especially on the part of the Israeli regime, have prevented the Palestinian nation from both exercising their right to self-determination and enjoying the right to development.

This Iranian voice for Palestinians will now resonate at every BRICS forum, though it may have to be tampered as China, India, and Russia, the “big boys” of the grouping, though empathetic to the Palestinians, also maintain significant ties with Israel.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23: In Pakistan, its various ethnic minorities remain in a constant state of agitation. The government in Islamabad remains aloof from the turmoil taking places on the country’s peripheries where local and national policies and dictates run foul of local communities like the Pashtuns, Baloch and Sindhis.

The Sindh province, located to the south-east of Pakistan with its borders touching the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, is again in news over Pakistan’s plan to unlock mining activity in the ancient mountains of Karunjhar. Part of the Rann of Kutch, the mountains are sacred to Sindhis besides acting as enablers of groundwater recharge and sustaining wildlife in the region.

In July this year, an advertisement proclaiming auction of lease for granite mining raised the hackles of the Sindhi people. The subsequent public furore led the department of mining to cancel the auction but after a couple of weeks, the plan to auction the Karunjhar mountains for granite mining was revived.

India Narrative speaks with Sohail Abro, Central Chairman of Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM) about the state of the nationalist movement in Sindh as well as Pakistan’s depredations in its province. Abro says that in his 30-year-old political career, he has been abducted by the intelligence agencies and tortured in the infamous torture cells by security agencies.

Abro adds that Pakistan has cracked down on nationalist Sindhi politicians through forced abductions and brutal killings. He says that with a sliding Pakistan economy, Islamabad is selling off Sindhi natural assets including the Karunjhar mountains.

IN: What is the current situation in Sindh, particularly of the masses due to the economic downturn and political instability in Pakistan?
SA: Pakistan’s situation is not hidden from the world. People are leading tough lives. What was available to us for Rs 50-100 is now around Rs 600. People are ready to sell their children to be able to feed themselves and provide for their children.

The situation because of floods in Sindh is bad. People’s houses and lands are still inundated. They are living on the roadsides because the politicians did not allow water to be let out. Some of the water-related incidents were done deliberately to show people in a pathetic light so that misery could be showcased before the world and aid could be collected. We have been appealing to international agencies to not give aid to Pakistan unless the donors visit Sindh and see the situation for themselves. Once there, they can give aid directly to the needy.

IN: The Pakistani government and the army are selling off the assets to other countries including airlines, ports and buildings. Is Sindh also witnessing something similar – the sale of its assets and lands?
SA: The Pakistani Army has captured the natural resources and land of Sindh. Even the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is involved in the sale of lands in Sindh.

Sindh generates a large amount of revenue but it is all taken away by the federal government. We have the third-largest coal mine in the world but the electricity produced is not shared with us. If just ten per cent of the revenue generated from Sindh is spent on the people, things would be much better for the masses.

Our lands are being given to China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which has seen widespread resistance locally. Similarly, the army is building military camps all over the province in places like Badin, Thatta, Sukkur, Golarchi and Pano Aqil and locating thousands of soldiers in these camps.

IN: There is news from Sindh that a lot of people are being arrested by Pakistan. Why is that happening?
SA: There were a series of kidnappings by the Pakistan’s ISI and military intelligence in Tando Muhammad Khan in the run-up to the Pakistani Independence Day. This included once again picking up Ramesh Kumar – one of our political activists who has been abducted twice earlier.

The Pakistani agencies begin to round-up people in Sindh so that the celebrations around Pakistan’s Independence Day are not disrupted by people seeking an end to human rights violations. Also, many political parties like ours carry out rallies for freedom.

Also, attempts were made to kidnap Sajjad Chana and Zahid Chana from Jamshoro city. They were fired upon and their motorcycle was hit by vehicles leading to severe injuries and broken bones.

IN: Can you please tell us about the armed groups in Sindh?
SA: Sindh does not have a similar insurgency like Balochistan which is being fought in hills and mountains. Ours is an urban political movement. We are mobilising people to come out on streets and hold rallies and protest against the ethnic genocide of Sindhis.

We are trying to build a movement exactly like the Bangladesh movement and not a military campaign like Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23: A chance discovery at the famous Rabindra Bharati Museum housed in Jorasanko Thakurbari in Kolkata -- the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore -- which came into being in 1962, has led to a treasure trove of many unpublished works of Abanindranath Tagore. He along with Gaganendranath were the well-known artist nephews of Gurudev Tagore and was the principal artist and creator of the Indian Society of Oriental Art. His books, "Buro Angla", "Khirer Putul" and "Nalak" are considered landmarks in Bangla language children’s literature.

Born in 1871, he is credited as being the founder of Bengal school of art which resulted in modern Indian painting and the first major exponent of Swadeshi values in Indian art.

Among the discovered works are a small black notebook which has poetry written in it that has never been heard of before, Persian-style calligraphy and paintings that have not been displayed in public earlier. The museum staff is arranging to publish these works early next year.

The notebook has more than 30 poems, written by hand in 1886 and these are being studied by experts for more details. Dr. Baisakhi Mitra, the Museum’s curator talking to Indian Express, described it as a true discovery and said that it pushes back the timeline of Tagore’s earliest works by seven years. Interestingly, one of the verses talks about the poet’s love and reverence for India whom he treats like his mother. This sentiment is reflected in his well-known paintings of the Bharat Mata series, made in 1905 when he was 34.

Two other manuscripts found include the Agni Upasak and the Ragaragini. The former has a translated poem and six unpublished paintings which are dated 1888 thereby making them the artist’s earliest-known works. This manuscript has 120 pages and interestingly also has the poet’s impression of Thomas Moore’s poem “Translation of Fire Worshippers”. The latter includes papers that have ragas penned in Bangla in Persian-style calligraphy.

All these materials came into the possession of the Museum in the 1960s when the poet’s son, Alokendranath Tagore donated them.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21: Ahead of the summit of the five-nation grouping of Brazil, Russian, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) this week, the wheels of military diplomacy between New Delhi and Beijing are whirring at a breakneck speed.

Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive in Johannesburg for the summit, corps commanders from India and China have had a lengthy two-day conversation about the formulations and mechanics of lowering tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. Significantly, this has been followed by meetings at Major General level to discuss old friction points in the Depsang plains. Clearly disengagement at the remaining knotty areas along the LAC, beamed since May 2020 following Chinese intrusions in these inhospitable heights seems on the radar.

In case a modus vivendi is achieved before the two principals arrive in South Africa, a meeting between PM Modi and President Xi would be possible, if not likely.

The military dialogue to discuss the nitty gritty of stabilising the LAC in Ladakh has followed two key meetings between Wang Yi, the head of the foreign affairs commission office of the Communist Party of China (CPC), now also the foreign minister, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar earlier. These conversations seem to have imparted the political impulse for a result-oriented dialogue at the military level ahead of the BRICS summit.

The run-up to BRICS, nevertheless, has trappings of déjà vu. In 2017, something similar had happened when 73 days Doklam crisis ended, yielding a BRICS summit in Xiamen, where PM Modi and President Xi met. Xiamen led to the Wuhan dialogue next year between the two leaders. The summitry ended with the Chennai meeting, before the relationship nosedived in the backdrop of the abrogation of Article 370, and Beijing’s second attempt to test India’s resolve of defending its borders.

For two reasons, the timing for a tactical thaw between New Delhi and Beijing appears appropriate. First, for China, a geo-economic realignment with India is now important, as Beijing’s export-led growth model has taken a big hit. In the post-Covid era when western economies have weakened, the demand for Chinese products has dropped significantly in North America and Europe. Besides, with mantra of de-risking echoing powerfully in western capitals, the movement of foreign capital into China has also entered a zone of uncertainty. In fact, capital outflow from China to other geographies including India, tagged with alternate supply chains, is on the radar.

Besides, with domestic consumption too plummeting, Chinese products need outlets to new markets as never before. For a country that is a master of cold calculations, it may not be a surprise that the CPC has decided to foster a big economic engagement with India. But this cannot happen unless there is a thaw at the borders in Ladakh. Gone are the days when the border and economy were de-coupled. The Chinese now know that hyphenation of the two domains is a new reality between the two Asian giants.

Second, there is big geopolitical dimension centred around Taiwan. The Chinse can no longer afford to ignore the cementing of ties between India and the United States, visible in plain sight during Prime Minister Modi’s high-octane visit to Washington, followed up by exceptionally high-profile outing to France. China can simply not afford Indo-US ties to gather further momentum, especially in view of the situation in Taiwan. In a worst-case scenario and given that the US cannot handover the Pacific to the Chinese, Washington may not hesitate to send troops to Taiwan in case the Chinese attacked the self-governing territory. What would be India’s response in case the world’s largest and second largest economy went to war? Would New Delhi only allow US logistical access invoking their logistical agreement, or, instead, consider opening a second front along LAC, however far-fetched that may seem to be the case right now?

China’s likely re-think on India, would be in tune with its shifting approach towards the United States. After initial hiccups, the political dialogue with the US starting with foreign secretary Antony Binken’s visit to Beijing is now in full flow. This is likely to culminate in a Xi-Joe Biden summit on the sidelines of the APEC this fall. In between Henry Kissinger one of the pioneers of diplomatic realism met Xi in Beijing. Kissinger has consistently advised US and Chinese administrations to bond with each other, with the subtext of breaching ties between Beijing and Moscow. A strategic partnership between Russia and China can virtually eliminate US influence in Eurasia—a region that defines the global balance of power as theorised by the guru of geopolitics, Halford John Mackinder.

From an Indian perspective, the reduction of tensions along the LAC, and a movement towards restoring the status quo ante would be a credible and satisfying achievement of the Modi government. An improvement of India-China ties in a multipolar world can also be leveraged to send a signal to the west that recent moves notwithstanding, India cannot be taken for granted, and New Delhi’s strategic autonomy, defining its rise as an independent great power is alive and kicking.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 18: In what brings 26/11 terror attack accused Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana closer to extradition to India, a US court has denied the writ of habeas corpus filed by him.

The denial has paved the way for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to issue a certification for him to be extradited to India where he is facing a trial for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

“The court has denied Tahawwur Rana’s petition for writ of habeas corpus by a separate order,” read orders by Judge Dale S Fischer, United States District Judge, Central District of California.

During the recently concluded monsoon session of the Indian parliament the Home Minister Amit Shah had informed the House that Tahawwur Rana would face the Indian judiciary soon.

Rana has filed an appeal against the order and sought a stay on his extradition to India till the time his appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court is heard. He had filed “writ of habeas corpus” in June this year challenging a court order that acceded to the request of the US government that the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks accused be extradited to India.

The special public prosecutor of the 26/11 case Ujjwal Nikam said that it was a great diplomatic success and a major blow to terrorism. “With extradition almost finalised, we now need to decide which court he will be tried, whether in the NIA court at Delhi or elsewhere, those questions will be decided by the investigating agency,” Said Nikam.

Judge Fischer in his rejection order said that he didn’t find any solid grounds as Rana has only made two basic arguments in the writ. First, he claims that, pursuant to the treaty, he cannot be extradited because India plans to prosecute him for the same acts for which he was charged and acquitted in a United States court. Second, he argues that the government has not established that there is probable cause to believe that Rana committed the Indian offenses for which he is expected to stand trial, the judge said.

“Given that, even if (David) Headley’s testimony were the entire basis for the probable cause finding, it would be sufficient for the purposes of habeas review because it constitutes some competent evidence supporting the finding. For the reasons stated above, Rana’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus is DENIED,” the judge wrote.

Tahawwur Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks that killed 175 people, including six Americans.

Indian authorities allege that Rana conspired with his childhood friend David Coleman Headley to assist the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba in orchestrating the terror attacks. David Headley had pleaded guilty and testified against Rana.

Following Judge Fischer’s order, Patrick Blegen and John D Cline, Rana’s two attorneys filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from the Order entered on August 10, 2023, for denying his petition for writ of habeas corpus.

In a separate appeal, Blegen has filed a petition “for a stay of extradition pending his appeal” to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from the court’s order denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

“As set forth in the accompanying memorandum, petitioner submits that a stay of extradition pending appeal is appropriate because he has made a strong showing that he is likely to succeed on the merits of his non bis in idem claim; he will suffer irreparable harm if he is extradited, potentially including the death penalty; a stay pending appeal will not substantially injure the government; and the public interest favors a full review of Rana’s non bis claim before he is sent to a country that seeks to execute him,” Rana’s attorney wrote on August 14.

In June, the Biden administration had urged the court to deny the writ of habeas corpus filed by Rana. “The United States respectfully requests that the court deny Rana’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus,” said E Martin Estrada, US attorney for Central District of California, in his petition filed before the US District Court for the Central District of California.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 17: On Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14, dozens of Baloch and Sindhi people protested in the heart of touristy London against "artificial country Pakistan" and its abuse of ethnic minorities.

In an unusually long protest, the vulnerable minority groups staged a protest at Trafalgar Square amidst thousands of tourists, then moved to the British Prime Minister’s residence and finally converged in front of the Parliament.

A number of activist organisations from Pakistan submitted a petition to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seeking the British government’s intervention “to save the lives of innocent people in Sindh and Balochistan”. The petitioners urged the British government to conduct an impartial investigation into the human rights violations in the two Pakistani provinces and also provide protection to human rights defenders, political activists and journalists.

The petition also urged the UK to initiate diplomatic efforts to initiate a meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders and resolve long-standing grievances of the Baloch and Sindhi people. The organisations also want aid for Pakistan to be monitored and made conditional to observance of human rights.

Dr Lakhu Luhana, general secretary of the Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF) told India Narrative that Pakistan is not a country but “is a State of the military, run by the military and for the military… people are dying because of hunger, because of malnutrition as their resources are taken. There is no recognition of the human rights of the Baloch and Sindhi people and of the atrocities on them”.

Regarding the situation of the Sindhi people, the petition said that besides enforced disappearances of political, human rights and civil rights activists… “there is a systematic campaign of terror supported by the State to coerce Sindhi Hindus to leave their motherland of thousands of years”.

The petition also mentioned how there has been a rise in the forced conversions of minor Sindhi Hindu girls and the fact that two Hindu temples were destroyed in July itself. Highlighting the gross abuse of power, the petition to the British PM said: “There has been a rise in the abductions of Hindus including children as young as five years”.

The call to protest on Pakistan’s most important day was given by the SBF, two ethnic communities converging to seek independence from Islamabad and escape abuse of the Pakistani Army.

Samad Baloch, president of the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) said that Pakistan’s ethnic communities have marked August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day as a “black day” because it never existed as a country till India’s independence. “We had Afghanistan, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but never Pakistan. It is an artificially created State”.

Manzoor Baloch from the Baloch National Movement (BNM) said that the Baloch seek independence as the Pakistani Army has been conducting itself like a terror organisation for nearly 70 years. Baloch told India Narrative that “more than 100 bodies were discovered in Tutak in mass graves in Khuzdar district which shows how the army has been terrorising the Baloch”.

The petition provided data on the excesses by Pakistani agencies. It said: “The situation in Balochistan has been characterised by widespread extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrests… only during the first half of 2023, 160 persons went missing in Balochistan after the security forces of Pakistan took them away”.

Right opposite Downing Street, the protestors shouted slogans against Pakistan as curious onlookers gazed at the spectacle. Holding Baloch flags, banners and placards, alienated people from Pakistan gave rousing speeches and recalled moments of terror, hoping for the international community to intervene.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 17: Srinagar's business hub of Lal Chowk admittedly does not represent the entire Kashmir valley's situation and political aspirations. But its iconic landscape and skyline does arguably contain Kashmir's most representative political countenance. That is why diverse characters chose it as their stage to dominate the scene and promote their narratives and ideologies over the last 100-odd years.

In the evening on Tuesday, India’s Independence Day, hundreds of enthusiastic Kashmiris gathered at Lal Chowk, danced around a fountain and the newly rebuilt clock tower and clicked pictures from all angles. Earlier in the day, different non-governmental groups and individuals took turns to wave the Indian national flag and get pictures and selfies clicked.

As scores of the I-Day revellers danced on the granite floor base of a fountain, it cracked under their weight. One of the participants was caught while removing the letter ‘L’ of the commemoration ‘LALCHOWK’ for a souvenir. All the buildings around were resplendent with radiance. This was in total contrast to the ambience of fear and gloom Lal Chowk presented until recently.

For the first two years of Omar Abdullah’s National Conference-Congress coalition in 2009-10 and later in Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP-BJP regime in 2016-18, Lalchowk was quite often known for the crates of concertina wire and paramilitary deployments put in place to stop the separatists’ marches to the Civil Lines. The summer headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) used to be their second most favourite destination for theatrics.

Living at the nearby Maisuma, JKLF chief Yasin Malik used to be a frequent demonstrator at Lal Chowk. On every separatist-militant sponsored call for shutdown, dharna or march, Police and paramilitary columns used to close Lalchowk with razor wires and other barricades. Entire Civil Lines presented the looks of a ghost town. Not a single pedestrian or civilian motor driver would be allowed to pass through Maulana Azad Road or Residency Road.

Just five years after the breakdown of Mehbooba Mufti’s government, Lal Chowk, as well as the entire capital city and the nine rural district headquarters are calm and quiet. Everything from street clashes to stone pelting mob attacks, separatist demonstrations and Pakistani flags, bullets, pellets and teargas, arson and encounters, has vanished.

After the constitutional changes of August 2019, almost the entire separatist violence has ended. From funeral processions and gun salutes to the militants killed in encounters, everything has disappeared. Education is continuing at schools, colleges, universities and coaching centres without any disruption. Trade and tourism are flourishing. As a result of this unimagined transformation, traders in Srinagar and elsewhere, particularly in the Srinagar Civil Lines, are making remarkable businesses. They claim this is for the first time since 1988.

Before 1947, Lal Chowk scripted a new history for Kashmir. A year after Bollywood produced its first sound film, Ardeshir Irani’s ‘Alam Ara’, in 1931, a Sikh philanthropist Bhai Anant Singh Gauri opened Kashmir’s first cinema, Palladium Talkies, at Lal Chowk. ‘Alam Ara’ was screened at Palladium. In 1947, Palladium served as headquarters of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s Emergency Administration and National Militia of Peace Brigade.

National Militia, comprising Kashmir’s men and women, picked the first guns and supported the Indian Army in resisting and failing the Pakistani raiders’ invasion with the popular slogan of “Hamla Aawar Khabardaar, Ham Kashmiri Hain Tayyar”. Later, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh addressed a massive gathering of the Kashmiris at Lal Chowk.

In the last 50 years, Lal Chowk has been witness to a mosaic of political developments. In February, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah received an enthusiastic reception here from his Kashmiri followers after he dumped his ‘Mahaz-e-Raishumari’ and returned to the mainstream politics as Chief Minister with support of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In his fiery speech, Sheikh blasted Pakistan for sending raiders to loot Kashmir, for killing innocent Kashmiris and for being hypocritical to Kashmir.

In 1980, the year when Bajaj business group raised the old Clock Tower at Lal Chowk, Sheikh delivered another historic speech. Two days before, a clash had occurred between the taxi drivers and soldiers in which then SSP Srinagar Ali Mohammad Watali was also injured. Sheikh doused the flames of turmoil and reconnected the civilians with the Indian Army.

In 1989, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah addressed his last rally of the pre-militancy period in front of Palladium. He asserted that Pakistan’s gun would only destroy Kashmir and exhorted the Kashmiris to reject the gun culture and separation.

1n March 1990, Kashmir’s massive pro-azadi processions to UNMOGIP passed through Lalchowk. In the next few years, a number of Lal Chowk’s business centres and hotels, including Palladium, were reduced to ashes in terror attacks and encounters.

In January 1992, senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi drove all the way to Srinagar and hoisted the Indian national flag at Lal Chowk under tight security and serious threats from militant organisations.

In 1994, top separatist leader Shabir Shah addressed a massive gathering of his followers at Lal Chowk. He stressed on unification of the separatist groups and assured his audiences to reunite the “100 beads of the rosary”. Subsequently Shah himself faded out into oblivion.

In 2010, when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah permitted an Eid congregation to march to Lal Chowk, mobs damaged Clock Tower and raised the green Pakistani flags on its top. Later, the unruly crowds set on fire the Crime Branch headquarters of the J&K Police at Exhibition Grounds. Pakistani flags on several occasions at Lal Chowk in 2016-18. Yards away from Lal Chowk, terrorists gunned down journalist Shujaat Bukhari.

On several occasions, innocent civilians and students of the adjacent Tyndale Biscoe School were either killed or left injured in grenade attacks.

This dark period of Lal Chowk’s history finally ended with the dismissal of Mehbooba Mufti’s government in June 2018. Not a single separatist demonstration, Pakistani flag hoisting or terror attack happened at Lal Chowk after August 2019. In 2022, the old Clock Tower was dismantled and a new elegant tower was raised under the Srinagar Smart City Mission.

In a sharp contrast to New Delhi’s policy of 1999-2019 - when separatists, militants and their promoters in the mainstream parties were appeased, accommodated and offered spaces - Prime Minister Modi’s ambition of restoration of peace and normalcy is unambiguously clear. But the people of Kashmir, who completely turned their back on violence, separatism and terrorism after 2018, deserve no less credit for the peace that is unfolding and spreading across the valley.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 16: India's self-designed and developed advanced technologies by leading defence firms continue to grab eyeballs at the seven-day Army 2023 International Military-Technical Forum which began at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre of the Russian Armed Forces in Moscow region on Monday.

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(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 15: Punjab Police in joint operation with Central agencies has busted yet another terror module on eve of Independence Day by nabbing five terror operatives associated with Pakistan-based Harvinder Rinda and US based gangster Goldy Brar. Police has recovered two foreign-made 9mm pistols along with ammunition from their possession.

The arrested accused have been identified as Gurinder Singh, Gurpinder Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Narinder Singh and Sukhmanpreet Singh.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the accused were planning to disrupt peace and harmony in the state through target killings in Punjab. This module was being operated by US based gangster Harpreet Happy on behalf of Rinda and Brar. The arrests come a day after Punjab Police busted a terror module being operated by Czech Republic based Gurdev Singh alias Jaisal. The police had yesterday arrested its three associates after recovering three pistols along with ammunition from Tarn Taran.

According to DGP Yadav, police acted on inputs Rind and Brar operatives were planning to target prominent political and socio-religious leaders in the state through his newly formed gang.

“Counter Intelligence in coordination with Central agencies carried out a special operation. We got an input that the armed operatives are meeting in Amritsar. A special team of SSOC Amritsar immediately rushed to the area and cordoned it off in a planned manner resulting in the arrest of five operatives of this module with recovery of weapons. We have registered FIR under UAPA,” said AIG SSOC, Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann. Sharing preliminary investigation details, the AIG said that the arrested persons has recently received a drone-delivered weapon consignment through the Indo-Pak Border arranged by gangster Happy with the help of Harwinder Rinda.

The accused persons have also been receiving financial aid sent by Happy through various channels, he said, while adding that it has also come to light that they have conducted a recce of Punjab-based targets defined by Happy. Further investigations are being carried out to unearth the entire terror network and to trace the channels via which Happy arranged weapons consignment as well as financial aid for his associates, he added.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Source: IANS

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