Dhaka, May 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma has reaffirmed India's willingness to deepen multifaceted engagement with Bangladesh for the mutual benefit and shared prosperity of the people of both countries, the High Commission of India in Bangladesh said on Sunday.

High Commissioner Pranay Verma paid a farewell call on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, on May 24.

During the meeting, Rahman thanked the High Commissioner for his contributions to bilateral relations and conveyed best wishes for his next assignment.

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was present at the meeting.

Both sides also briefly discussed various potential areas of cooperation driven by the development priorities of the two countries.

Pranay Verma has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, said the Ministry of External Affairs in April.

Following his new appointment, Verma is scheduled to leave Dhaka on May 27.

Former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.

Trivedi was elected to the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2019 from the Barrackpore constituency and earlier served multiple terms as a Rajya Sabha member.

Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Khalilur Rahman, in New Delhi.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Humayun Kabir, was also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar reiterated India's desire to engage constructively with the new Bangladesh government and further strengthen bilateral ties.

The two sides agreed to explore proposals for deepening the partnership through the relevant bilateral mechanisms. Follow-on official meetings are expected to take place at an early date. Both sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs noted.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Rahman also met the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri.

Source: IANS

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Kathmandu, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) A team from India's elite National Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as the "Black Cats", successfully summited Mount Everest, according to the expedition organising company.

The NSG team, comprising Major Akhilesh Bhatt, Bavinder Singh, Bhoopendra Singh, Pankaj Singh Dosad, Rahul Singh, Ravinder Singh, Satish Kumar, Sonu, Sulinder Singh, and Suresh Kumar, reached the summit of the world's highest peak at 3:26 a.m. on Saturday, the Seven Summit Treks said in a Facebook post.

"Of the 16-member expedition team, 12 had attempted to reach the top of Mt. Everest, but only 10 were able to reach the summit," Mingma Sherpa told IANS.

"All of them have now descended and arrived at Everest Base Camp by the evening."

According to the company, the team completed the expedition in just 20 days after departing Kathmandu, a relatively short timeframe for an Everest expedition.

The NSG Everest Expedition 2026, comprising 16 members, was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ram Chandra Thapa.

Major Akhilesh Bhatt served as the climbing leader, while veteran mountaineer Mingma Thinduk Sherpa led the Sherpa support team as expedition sirdar.

According to the expedition organiser, the rapid ascent and successful summit represent a significant achievement in high-altitude mountaineering. The expedition was supported by a team of 16 Nepali Sherpa guides.

NSG Director General Brighu Srinivasan of the Indian Police Service (IPS), had flagged off the expedition.

The team also operated a medical camp at Everest Base Camp and participated in garbage clean-up efforts.

Established in 1984, the NSG is India's premier counter-terrorism and rapid-response force.

Seven Summit Treks said the expedition embodied the force's motto, "Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha" (Best Security Everywhere), highlighting endurance, discipline, and teamwork in one of the world's most challenging environments.

"The successful ascent also underscored the close cooperation between Nepali Sherpas and Indian climbers, serving as a symbol of the longstanding friendship between Nepal and India," the company said.

According to the Department of Tourism, a total of 61 Indian climbers had received permits to climb Mt. Everest as of May 15.

Nepal has issued permits to 492 foreign climbers for Everest this season, the highest number ever recorded for a spring climbing season.

Despite flight disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia involving the US and Iran, as well as an increase in Nepal's royalty fees, the appeal of reaching the world's highest peak continues to attract mountaineers from around the globe.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Despite Pakistan's efforts in seeking global relevance by turning into a peacemaker in the US-Iran conflict, its domestic economic crisis, internal conflicts surrounding Balochistan. and cross-border skirmishes with India and Afghanistan are among the issues that have consistently concerned the nation, a Bangladeshi media report said.

The critique came after a Pakistani delegation, including Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, visited Iran on Friday to push for an end to the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.

"Keeping Pakistan's economy operational without loans from the IMF has become nearly impossible. Foreign exchange reserves have repeatedly plummeted to levels where even meeting import costs has become a matter of grave concern," Tanjina Aman Tanjum wrote in an editorial in the Dhaka Tribune.

"Fuel shortages, rising electricity tariffs, and soaring prices of daily necessities have rendered the lives of ordinary citizens unbearable. Middle-class families are now compelled to cut back on daily expenses, small businesses are struggling to survive, and a significant segment of the youth is increasingly eager to migrate abroad," it added.

Moreover, TTanjum noted that border skirmishes, terrorism, and conflicts surrounding the Taliban have kept relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in a state of "perpetual instability".

Highlighting the neighbouring country's "conflict-ridden" relationship with India, the editorial stated: "The Kashmir issue, border clashes, and political tensions have consistently kept relations between the two nations on edge. On several occasions, situations have arisen where the spectre of a nuclear conflict loomed large."

Further, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have repeatedly carried out major attacks on Pakistani soil.

However, the editorial states that Pakistan has its own vested interest in mediating between the US and Iran.

"Should the conflict in the Middle East become protracted, oil prices would inevitably rise - a scenario that would plunge Pakistan's already fragile economy into an even deeper crisis. Furthermore, given Pakistan's large Shia population, instability surrounding Iran could trigger sectarian tensions within the country," Tanjum stressed.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Journalists in Pakistan have urged the Parliament to review all media laws and termed the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 "draconian black law, specifically engineered to facilitate the arm-twisting of journalists and the suppression of Pakistan’s media landscape", reports said.

A declaration issued at the conclusion of the National Journalists Convention on “Media Laws, Regulations, and Ethics", organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), read: "We demand that the Parliament review all media laws that are contrary to Article 19 of the Constitution," the daily Dawn reported.

Through the declaration, known as the "Islamabad Declaration", the journalists slammed the "violation of the government’s solemn promise that these laws would never be weaponised against the press".

During the event, the journalists voiced concern over continued retrenchments and the deliberate job insecurity created by media owners, especially in the electronic media, where layoffs were made without any justification, resulting in hundreds of media personnel becoming jobless amid record-high inflation, as per the Dawn report.

The journalists condemned the denial of basic employment rights to media personnel, including health insurance, gratuity, and EOBI registration and benefits.

The declaration stated, “The Convention expresses serious concern over the government’s policy of using public advertisements as a tool of financial pressure to dictate editorial content and enforce censorship through informal press advice. Daily Dawn, in particular, is a victim of this policy; it is being denied not only public-sector advertisements but is also facing a situation in which the private corporate sector is being persuaded to withhold advertising."

In April, Islamabad-based media watchdog Freedom Network said that Pakistan's media landscape saw a reduction in space for free expression during the past year due to increasing legal, regulatory, and economic and other pressures.

Titled 'Regulatory Repression of Freedom of Expression – Legal Controls and PECA Undermine Media and Journalism in Pakistan', the report stated that the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) law is the most “consequential instrument” being used to restrict journalists and free speech practitioners in the country.

According to the report, the provisions of PECA law were increasingly being used in 2025 and 2026 to criminalise lawful expression, target dissent, and intimidate journalists, lawyers and political commentators.

Freedom Network released the report to mark World Press Freedom Day, which is observed globally on May 3 each year.

"The weaponisation of PECA has created a climate of fear where journalists are compelled to self-censor to avoid legal repercussions," said Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak, while terming it as "one of the most serious threats to media freedom in Pakistan today."

The report has highlighted convictions of human rights lawyers, including Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, as examples of how custodial sentences were being used to deter dissent. Furthermore, dozens of journalists have faced charges under increased provisions of PECA, while defamation cases, regulatory suspensions and internet shutdowns have further affected independent journalism.

The report mentioned that state-led efforts to counter disinformation and hate speech were often used along with increased surveillance and selective enforcement.

"In terms of journalist safety, the report documented at least 129 verified incidents of violations during the review period, which ranged between April 2025 and March 2026. Legal threats and physical violence accounted for nearly two-thirds of these cases. Among these violations are two murders, five cases of threats to murder, 58 legal cases (mostly PECA-invoked), 16 cases of assault, 11 cases of threats to harm and two cases of kidnapping and enforced disappearance," Freedom Network stated.

"Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerged as the most dangerous regions for journalists, while murders in Sindh and Balochistan underscored the persistent risks. State authorities were suspected as the leading perpetrators, responsible for over 60 per cent of violations, primarily through legal and custodial actions. Non-state actors, including militant groups and criminal networks, also contributed to threats, assaults, and killings," it added.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) A church leader has accused Pakistani police of not following the Supreme Court's order to arrest all suspects involved in the attacks that took place on multiple churches and Christian homes in Jaranwala area of Pakistan's Punjab province in 2023, a report has stated.

The Rev. Khalid Mukhtar, whose parish house was among the properties destroyed in the violence, said authorities made little progress despite the Supreme Court's orders on March 31, where it directed police to arrest absconding suspects and ordered the Faisalabad anti-terrorism court to conclude the trials within six months, the Christian Daily International reported.

Mukhtar, who is now serving as priest of St Joseph’s Church in Faisalabad, said: "The Supreme Court directed the police to immediately arrest all absconding suspects and ordered the anti-terrorism court to conclude the trials within six months."

"Despite providing police with video and photographic evidence identifying many of those involved, there has been no meaningful progress in arrests. We have met senior police officials several times since the ruling, but their assurances have not translated into concrete action."

Mukhtar said that only one suspect remains in prison among 336 suspects against whom police have submitted charge sheets, while the others have either been granted bail or discharged from cases lodged by Christians, the report said.

Speaking to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, he noted that police and intelligence reports estimated that more than 5,000 people participated in the attacks. He stated that nearly 400 suspects were arrested initially; however, the majority of them were granted bail, acquitted or discharged due to weak investigations and insufficient proof. According to him, some complainants faced intimidation and pressure from suspects.

Violence in Jaranwala erupted after two Christians were accused of desecrating the Quran. Later, a trial court acquitted both men and stated that they had been falsely implicated following a personal dispute.

Earlier this month, the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable Pakistan held a consultation, where concerns were raised over the continued patterns of religious discrimination, blasphemy laws misuse, forced conversions, forced marriages and the targeting of minority women and children.

During the event, the participants reviewed the current status of religious minorities in Pakistan. Faith leaders, human rights advocates, journalists, and civil society representatives called for stronger protections for Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and religious minority communities, the Illinois-based legal news website National Law Review said.

"As faith leaders, human rights advocates, and citizens of Pakistan, we believe there must be no discrimination on the basis of religion," said Kashif Mirza, a Karachi-based internationally recognised human rights activist and Pakistan Director of the IRF Roundtable.

"Children have become among the worst victims of religious discrimination. This must stop. Pakistan must protect every child, every woman, and every minority citizen equally under the law," Mirza added.

During the consultation, the participants spoke about the recent legislative developments, including the introduction of minority-rights and communal-property protection bills in Punjab and the passage of the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025 by Pakistan’s Parliament. However, they stressed that legislation must be implemented on the ground and demanded accountability.

IRF Roundtable Pakistan co-chair Anila Ali - a native of Pakistan, author, and a women rights advocate - also demanded urgent action to end forced conversions and forced marriages in the country.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan is grappling with a mounting foreign exchange crisis driven by pressure to repay roughly $4.8 billion of external debt, weak investor confidence, and falling foreign direct investment (FDI), according to an international media report.

The report in the Times of Oman stated that foreign direct investment in Pakistan plummeted by 33 per cent in FY26 to $1.195 billion from $1.92 billion in 2023–24 and $1.83 billion in 2024–25. As a share of GDP, FDI remained below 0.45 per cent.

The report highlighted that the declining confidence in the country’s economy is also reflected in the exit and downsizing of several multinational companies in recent years. Various policy measures announced by the government to revive investors' confidence have failed to yield results.

The report mentions Procter & Gamble among the multinational giants that have decided to shut down manufacturing operations in Pakistan, along with companies such as Shell, Telenor, Uber, Yamaha, Eni, some foreign banks and pharmaceutical firms deciding to scale down or shut operations in Pakistan.

The report mentioned labour force survey data showing the unemployment rate rising to 6.3 per cent to 6.9 per cent from 2020–21 to 2024–25, with women and youth experiencing the biggest brunt.

Pakistan’s external and fiscal vulnerabilities are apparent from public debt surging to Rs 80.52 lakh crore by the end of FY25, while external debt and liabilities stood at $138 billion, the report said. "Economic growth for the last three years has averaged about 1.7 per cent. The government’s debt is worth 70 per cent of GDP, and gross financing needs are among the highest in the world," it added.

The report also points out that Pakistan’s economy remained highly exposed to West Asian shocks, as the country spends about 4 per cent of GDP annually on fuel and fertiliser imports from the Gulf. Due to heavy reliance on fuel, food, and remittances from West Asia and the Gulf, the economy is under significant strain, with Islamabad ordering austerity measures like the closure of schools and a reduced work week to deal with the oil crisis. it said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Minority communities in Bangladesh are facing growing insecurity amid incidents of violence, land encroachment and sustained social intimidation linked to Islamist networks, according to a report, which warned that vulnerable religious groups continue to live under fear in several parts of the country.

The report said Hindu, Buddhist and Christian minorities in Bangladesh are increasingly confronting attacks ranging from vandalism and intimidation to forced displacement, with incidents allegedly forming part of a wider pattern aimed at weakening their presence in local communities and forcing them off ancestral land.

It noted that such incidents have surfaced repeatedly across districts over the years, often during periods of political unrest or after rumours related to blasphemy or religious tensions, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty for minority families.

According to Eurasia Review, in an opinion piece by Ashu Mann, violence against minorities in Bangladesh is not limited to isolated communal flare-ups but reflects a deeper and more organised pattern of coercion.

The article said homes, shops, temples, and monasteries belonging to minority communities have frequently been targeted, leaving many residents feeling unsafe and increasingly vulnerable.

The report said that a major underlying factor behind these incidents is land. It alleged that organised intimidation and communal violence are often used as pressure tactics to force minority families to abandon valuable land and property, which is then occupied or transferred illegally.

The op-ed described this as a long-term pattern that has steadily eroded both economic security and community confidence among minorities in several regions.

The Eurasia Review commentary also pointed to attacks on religious places as having a severe psychological impact. Beyond physical destruction, it said assaults on temples and monasteries have damaged the sense of security among communities and reinforced fears over religious freedom and equal citizenship.

Citing past incidents of communal violence, the article noted that several attacks had altered local demographics and affected social relations at the grassroots level, with many families reportedly choosing migration over continued uncertainty.

The piece also said that Bangladesh's minority population, especially Hindus, has declined sharply over the decades. It linked that decline to repeated cycles of insecurity, targeted violence, and the absence of adequate safeguards to protect vulnerable communities.

For India, this is not merely a human-rights concern but a strategic one. The documented hostility of Jamaat-e-Islami to secular norms and minorities, combined with its longstanding ideological links to Pakistan, raises serious concerns that Bangladesh could become a more permissive environment for extremist networks.

The report also raised concerns over alleged ideological and operational links between Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan-backed Islamist networks, warning that the trend could deepen radicalisation and weaken Bangladesh's pluralistic traditions.

It concluded that the issue extends beyond Bangladesh's domestic politics and carries wider strategic implications for South Asia, stressing that protecting minority rights, ensuring justice and preserving communal harmony remain essential for long-term peace and regional stability.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Great Nicobar Project, work on which is underway, aims to transform the island into a strategic maritime and economic hub by leveraging its proximity to the global East–West shipping route and reducing dependence on foreign transshipment ports, keeping in view India’s defence and national security, an article contended.

The project, which will strengthen India’s strategic presence in the Andaman Sea and Southeast Asia, seeks to balance port-led economic growth with calibrated environmental safeguards and protection of indigenous communities.

The port is strategically important because it is located close to the East-West international shipping route, which is about 40 nautical miles away, and has a natural water depth of over 20 metres. This strategic location gives it an advantage to attract both gateway and transhipment cargo to reduce India’s dependence on foreign ports like Colombo, Singapore, and Klang.

The project is situated near the waterway that is also crucial to China’s crude oil imports and trade flows, which is a vulnerability often described by analysts as Beijing’s "Malacca dilemma", according to an article in the South China Morning Post.

"The Great Nicobar project is probably one of the more consequential strategic bets India has made in recent decades," the article cites former Indian Army officer and military diplomat, Brigadier Sanjay Iyer (retd), as saying.

He pointed out that the project will give India a continuous presence in the eastern Indian Ocean, better awareness of what’s moving through the region, "and a degree of leverage that didn’t exist before".

Iyer pointed out that Great Nicobar sits at the edge of the Strait of Malacca, which handles somewhere between a quarter and a third of the world’s seaborne trade, while for China, two-thirds of its maritime commerce and close to 70–80 per cent of its oil imports move through the strait.

"Beijing has openly worried about the ‘Malacca dilemma’, the vulnerability of having so much of its energy supply flowing through a narrow passage it doesn’t control. Great Nicobar sharpens that dilemma considerably," Iyer said

He pointed out that the importance of Malacca as a potential chokepoint has increased since the US-Iran war, which has disrupted shipping traffic and energy exports across the Strait of Hormuz.

While India is not going to blockade the strait in peacetime, the infrastructure on Great Nicobar improves India’s ability to monitor the movement of China’s Navy, the western Pacific, and the Indian Ocean, Iyer said.

India has been underutilising the potential of the Indian Ocean, which is a vital artery for commerce and energy supplies connecting Europe, Asia and Africa, the article cites analysts as saying.

In contrast, Beijing has been building a network of overseas commercial and military infrastructure, energy pipelines, and naval facilities in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Djibouti to gain greater access to the Indian Ocean.

"Great Nicobar pushes India to think like a maritime power, or specifically an island power too. The Andaman and Nicobar chain is where contemporary India blends into Southeast Asia," Uday Chandra, a professor at Ashoka University, told the South China Morning Post.

India's ports lack deep-water berths for large ships. Because of this, cargo is routed through Colombo and Singapore. India loses substantial revenue as a result. Countries like Myanmar, China and Sri Lanka are already building deep-water facilities to capture this trade.

In this context, the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay is being developed as part of the Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island under the Island Development programme. Along with the proposed airport, township, and power plant, the Galathea Bay transhipment port forms a major infrastructure component of the overall Great Nicobar Project.

Source: IANS

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Dhaka, May 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) The failure of rape trials in Bangladesh reflects a broader systemic collapse across the entire judicial chain rather than a single flaw. From the filing of the initial complaint to the final stages of cross-examination, the survivor often confronts institutional incompetence and political interference, a report has detailed.

The horrific discovery of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old minor girl, Ramisa, in Dhaka's Pallabi area has once again laid bare a troubling reality, according to a report in Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star.

Her decapitated body was found inside a neighbour's flat — “a site of unimaginable horror where her shoes remained neatly placed outside the door while a life was snuffed out within.”

This comes amid another recent disturbing incident in Netrokona district, where an 11-year-old child was reportedly subjected to a brutal sexual assault, leaving her seven months pregnant.

“These incidents, alongside the older cases of Madhabdi and Sitakunda and many others, prove that the legal system remains a graveyard for rape complaints. These cases follow a predictable and tragic cycle. We see initial horror and outcry, a promise of swift action, and, eventually, years of delay or the case's total disappearance,” the report said, highlighting several incidents of sexual abuse across Bangladesh.

“The fundamental problem lies in the disconnect between paper laws and courtroom practice. While the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act promises quick resolutions, the reality is a backlog so immense that it effectively functions as a denial of justice. Thousands of cases have remained unresolved for more than 5 years,” it added.

The report noted that despite a sharp rise in reported cases of sexual violence, Bangladesh continues to record an abysmally low conviction rate. It added that the judicial system is burdened by a massive backlog that effectively amounts to a denial of justice.

Citing official data from the High Court, the report said that by December 2025, 30,365 cases had been pending in the system for more than 5 years.

Additionally, Dhaka-based rights group Ain o Salish Kendra documented at least 56 girls under the age of 12 who were raped in the first four months of 2026, including 16 children below six years.

The Rape Law Reform Coalition, a group of human rights defenders in Bangladesh, estimated a judicial backlog of over 10 lakh pending cases, with 10,000 rape cases remaining unresolved for over five years. In 2025 alone, the police recorded 7,068 rape cases across Bangladesh, affecting 5,171 adult and 1,897 child victims.

“This data reflects a systemic failure to deliver verdicts, forcing survivors to navigate a process that often feels designed to defeat them,” The report stated.

Source: IANS

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Dhaka, May 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) A leading international human rights organisation on Friday called on Bangladeshi authorities to drop all charges against journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Haque, alleging that they were targetted for their work as media professionals.

Amnesty International urged the authorities to uphold and protect the right to freedom of expression, including media freedom, in line with Bangladesh’s international human rights obligations.

The appeal came after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on May 14 ordered Bangladeshi media outlet Ekattor TV journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu, along with former minister Dipu Moni, to be shown arrested in a case linked to the 2013 crackdown on the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka.

The bench headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder issued the order, sending the accused to jail in connection with the case, while setting June 7 as the date for submission of the investigation report.

Responding to the charges brought against the detained journalists by the (ICT), reportedly in relation to a "misleading" report on the deadly crackdown on protesters at the Shapla Square in May 2013, Smriti Singh, South Asia Regional Director of Amnesty International, said, “Freedom of expression extends to information which some may find offensive, shocking or disturbing." Respect for this right is essential to ensuring healthy public discourse in a rights-respecting society.”

Stressing that journalists must not be targeted for opinions that are disagreeable or for their perceived links to political parties, Singh said that Farzana and Mozammel, who are already in detention, now face “vague new charges” relating to a story that was aired more than a decade ago.

“Their arrest in a case related to crimes against humanity is an affront to fundamental principles of press freedom and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the right of all journalists to report without fear of retaliation,” she added.

Singh further said that the tribunal has faced serious criticism over fair trial and due process concerns, as well as for handing down the death penalty, which Amnesty International opposes in all cases.

Last week, an international press freedom group, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Bangladeshi authorities to stop weaponising the ICT to target journalists and immediately release Farzana and Mozammel.

The ICT was originally constituted in 2010 during the tenure of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government to try crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan.

Following the political transition of August 2024, the CPJ said that the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government had reconstituted the tribunal and amended the law to prosecute figures linked to the Awami League government, including Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan’s gas sector has gone into a structural decline, which, in turn, is damaging industrial competitiveness, discouraging exploration investment, increasing LNG dependence and weakening Pakistan’s long-term energy security, according to an article in the local media.

Policymakers have been treating the gas crisis as a supply shortage problem, but the rot runs deeper, as it is the structure of the gas market itself that no longer works, the article in Karachi's Business Recorder pointed out.

Pakistan now faces declining indigenous gas production, expensive RLNG imports, shrinking industrial throughput, and severe financial stress across the energy chain. Yet the institutional structure has barely changed. The most dangerous consequence is declining throughput.

Industrial consumers are steadily reducing dependence on pipeline gas because tariffs have become unaffordable and unpredictable. Businesses are shifting toward solar, coal, biomass, furnace oil and self-generation because pipeline gas is no longer viewed as commercially reliable.

This destruction of demand has been accelerated by misguided policy, the article said.

The wrongly calculated and irrational levy imposed on captive power plants effectively priced many industrial users out of the gas system. Instead of preserving industrial throughput and export competitiveness, policy moved aggressively to force industry away from gas consumption.

The result was predictable: industrial consumers reduced off-take, switched fuels or invested in alternatives altogether. This has inflicted severe damage on the economics of the pipeline system, the article said.

Pakistan’s gas infrastructure carries enormous fixed costs. Pipelines, compressor stations, maintenance, debt servicing and staffing costs do not disappear simply because fewer molecules move through the network. Instead, these costs are spread over smaller and smaller gas volumes.

The result is a classic utility death spiral: lower throughput leads to higher tariffs, higher tariffs reduce demand further, and declining demand pushes tariffs even higher.

The core problem is that the fixed costs of the system are being recovered from a shrinking and increasingly stressed customer base.

As throughput falls, the Sui companies continue attempting to recover infrastructure costs, UFG losses, financing costs, RLNG obligations and historical shortfalls through a shrinking customer base.

Consumers increasingly face the absurd situation where service quality weakens, industrial competitiveness deteriorates, and supply reliability becomes uncertain, yet tariffs continue rising.

The diversion of imported LNG away from industry toward the domestic sector has further worsened the crisis. Pakistan originally imported LNG primarily to support industrial growth, efficient power generation and economic expansion. Instead, increasingly large volumes are being diverted toward low-paying and heavily subsidised domestic consumption. The financial consequences are enormous, the article observed.

Source: IANS

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Kathmandu, May 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two Indian mountaineers, Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, died while descending from Mount Everest, a senior official at Nepal's Department of Tourism said on Friday.

Himal Gautam, Director of the Department of Tourism, told IANS that the climbers died as they were descending after conquering the peak of the world's tallest mountain as per the reports received from the Everest Base Camp.

"The exact cause of their deaths is not yet known," Gautam said.

Both climbers summited Everest on May 21 and fell ill during their descent, according to the local media reports.

Tiwari died near the Hillary Step, just below the summit, while being assisted by four Sherpa climbers during the descent, Nivesh Karki, Director of Pioneer Adventures, which organised their expedition, told local news portal The Himalayan Times.

Are suffered snow blindness immediately after reaching the summit and was rescued from the South Summit. However, he died at Camp II after being brought down by five Sherpa rescuers.

The death toll on Everest this spring climbing season has now reached five, while the total number of fatalities in Nepal's Himalayan mountains stands at seven, according to the tourism department.

Earlier, three Nepali climbers had died on Mt. Everest during this season.

According to Gautam, nearly 600 climbers — including permit holders and Sherpa guides — had summited Everest by Thursday.

Nepal has issued permits to 492 foreign climbers for Everest this season, the highest number ever recorded for a spring climbing season. Despite flight disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia involving the United States and Iran, as well as an increase in Nepal's royalty fees, the appeal of reaching the world's highest peak continues to attract mountaineers from around the world.

Meanwhile, veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa received a grand welcome in Kathmandu on Friday upon returning to the capital after successfully scaling Mount Everest for a record 32nd time, extending his own world record.

According to expedition officials, the 56-year-old reached the summit at 10:12 a.m. on May 17, setting another milestone in Everest climbing history.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, May 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the police department and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) authorities to directly send arrested illegal infiltrators from other countries to the nearest Border Security Force (BSF) border outposts instead of producing them before courts.

Earlier, CM Adhikari said that the system of handing over illegal infiltrators directly to the BSF had come into force in West Bengal with immediate effect from Wednesday.

On Thursday, he held a meeting with police and RPF authorities and directed them to send arrested illegal infiltrators to the nearest BSF Border Outposts (BoPs) instead of presenting them before courts.

“Henceforth, if any illegal infiltrator is arrested either at Howrah station or anywhere else, they will not be produced before the court. Instead, they will be provided food and sent directly to the BSF BoPs either at the Benapole-Petrapole border outpost in Bangaon subdivision or at the one in Basirhat, both in North 24 Parganas district,” CM Adhikari told mediapersons.

However, he clarified that the new system would not apply to those coming as refugees and who are eligible for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Political observers feel that such a strong step initiated by the Chief Minister goes a step ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) announced “detect-delete-deport” policy against illegal infiltrators, which Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also promised during his pre-election campaigns in West Bengal.

He also said that his office would maintain weekly updates on the number of illegal infiltrators arrested and sent to BSF outposts.

“I have directed the state Director General of Police to send weekly reports on this matter to my office,” the Chief Minister said.

One of the BJP’s main campaign planks before the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections was not only to prevent illegal immigration but also to free the state of illegal infiltrators allegedly staying there using fake Indian identity documents.

The process of handing over land to the BSF for erecting barbed fencing along unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border in the state had already started on Wednesday to achieve the first objective of preventing illegal infiltration.

Now, the process for achieving the second objective of deporting illegal infiltrators will begin following the Chief Minister’s direction to the state police and the RPF in the matter.

Source: IANS

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Jammu, May 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) of the Indian Army's Northern Command, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, on Wednesday reviewed the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness of troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, an official said.

The Udhampur-headquartered Northern Command said in a post on X: “Gen Pratik Sharma, #ArmyCdrNC, reviewed the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness of the forward areas of #Sunderbani Sector along the #LoC.

“He interacted with the troops, including personnel from the BSF, commending them for their battle-hardened resilience, indomitable courage and unwavering commitment to duty. He encouraged all for rapid absorption of emerging technologies with an aim to upskill and always remain combat ready.”

Jammu and Kashmir has a 740-km-long LoC located in Rajouri, Poonch and parts of Jammu district in the Jammu division, and in Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts of the Kashmir Valley.

The Army is deployed along the LoC, while the 240-km-long International Border is located in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts.

The Border Security Force (BSF) is deployed along the International Border. The Army and the BSF are deployed to prevent infiltration, exfiltration, drug smuggling and drone activity originating from the Pakistan side of the border.

Drones are used by terror outfits operating from across the border in Pakistan, with the assistance of Pakistani forces, to drop consignments of arms, ammunition, cash and drugs.

These consignments are picked up by overground workers (OGWs) of terror groups and subsequently passed on to terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

Special anti-drone equipment is being used by the BSF and the Army to prevent drone activity originating from across the LoC and the International Border.

There has been a significant decrease in drone activity from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir after the deployment of hi-tech anti-drone technology by the Army and the BSF.

Despite the decline, occasional sightings of drones along the LoC and the International Border continue to be reported from across the border.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Despite the political upheaval in Bangladesh with the overthrow of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024 and 'anti-India' rhetoric launched by the new regime, what stands out is that there was no disruption in the power supply from India to the neighbouring country through the cross border infrastructure built over the years, according to a news article.

The two countries had spent years constructing an energy partnership -- pipelines, power grids, joint infrastructure -- that had become load-bearing for Bangladesh's economy.

The concern was whether a sudden political realignment in Dhaka would put all of it at risk.

Through September 2024, as political communication between New Delhi and Dhaka entered a difficult phase and administrative processes, including visa normalisation, slowed, India's power exports to Bangladesh continued at virtually unchanged levels, the article in in Eurasia Review said.

It cites official data from India's National Load Despatch Centre on September 18, 2024, recording nearly 47.7 million units of electricity supplied to Bangladesh in a single day which showed how deep link between the two countries' energy systems held even as the political relationship navigated turbulence.

The article explains that the reason why this energy link did not break is that the "India–Bangladesh power relationship had, by 2024, moved well past the point where it depended on the goodwill of particular leaders or the warmth of any given diplomatic moment".

It was embedded in long-term agreements, technical coordination mechanisms between grid operators, and interconnected infrastructure whose suspension would have imposed immediate and serious costs on both sides.

"Bangladesh's factories, hospitals, and urban power networks had come to depend on imported Indian electricity as a baseline of supply. India's grid operators had corresponding obligations and commercial arrangements," the article noted.

It highlights that the system had its own momentum -- institutional, contractual, and operational -- that was not easily interrupted by political weather.

Bangladesh was already managing a fragile economic situation: foreign exchange reserves under pressure, fuel import costs elevated, and public confidence in institutions not yet fully restored after the political transition.

"An electricity disruption layered on top of all that -- darkening factories, extending urban load-shedding, amplifying public frustration at a moment of governmental fragility -- would have been deeply damaging. Instead, the power kept coming, industrial production held at workable levels, and the new administration was spared one crisis it did not need," the article said.

The article highlights that it goes to India's credit that chose not to use the potential leverage that Bangladesh's political transition created at that point.

"A country dependent on a neighbour for essential energy imports is, in principle, vulnerable to pressure from that neighbour during a period of internal weakness. India did not apply that pressure. It allowed institutional commitments to run their course, treating the energy relationship as something separate from the political complications that had arisen between the two governments. That restraint was itself a form of diplomacy -- quieter and more durable than anything that could have been communicated in a press statement," the article noted.

Source: IANS

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Quetta, May 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Voicing serious concerns over non-recovery of kidnapped top officials of Gwadar University, leaders of the Academic Staff Associations of Balochistan University have announced that protest rallies will be held in all universities in Pakistan's province on Wednesday, local media reported on Tuesday.

The statement comes after the abduction of Vice Chancellor of Gwadar University Abdul Razzaq Sabir, pro-Vice Chancellor Syed Manzoor Ahmed, lecturer Irshad Ahmed and their staff members five days ago from a highway in Mastung district while they were travelling to Quetta, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.

In a joint statement, leaders of the Academic Staff Association of University of Balochistan and the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa), Balochistan chapter, said that the kidnapped top officials of the University of Gwadar have not been recovered by the government even after five days, causing concern among faculty members and students of universities in Balochistan.

The leaders of the two associations urged staff members of the universities in Balochistan to participate in the protest rallies. They called for the immediate recovery of the Vice Chancellor, pro-Vice Chancellor, lecturer and other staff members.

They noted that several teachers had been repeatedly attacked and many faculty members had been killed and others forcibly disappeared in the past, Dawn reported. According to the statement, Dilawar Khan, a professor in the Khuzdar campus of the University of Balochistan and professor Ghamkhwar Hayat were killed recently.

The leaders of the two associations urged the government to provide security to teachers, students and ordinary citizens, improve law and order situation, and find the officials who have been kidnapped.

On May 16, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It stated that the alleged kidnapping of the Vice-Chancellor, pro-Vice Chancellor and two other Gwadar University employees in Mastung, while travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, sparks questions about the state's ability to secure major highways and protect residents.

In a statement posted on X, HRCP stated, "HRCP is deeply alarmed by the sharp deterioration in security across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where citizens are increasingly caught between enforced disappearances, targeted killings, and militant attacks."

"In Balochistan, the alleged abduction of the Vice-Chancellor, pro-Vice Chancellor, and two other Gwadar University employees in Mastung, while travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, raises serious questions about the state’s ability to secure major highways and protect civilians. HRCP is equally disturbed by the killing of Professor Ghamkhwar Hayat in Noshki earlier today and reminds the government that when teachers and academics are abducted or shot dead, the consequences extend far beyond individual tragedies," it added.

According to the statement shared by HRCP on X, the deadly attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu, Bajaur, and Lakki Marwat highlight a worsening pattern of militant violence that continues to take lives indiscriminately.

"In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, deadly attacks in Bannu, Bajaur, and Lakki Marwat, including the bombing of a crowded market in Sarai Naurang, point to a worsening pattern of militant violence that continues to take lives indiscriminately, including those of civilians, police officers and security personnel," HRCP posted on X.

"We urge the state to move beyond statements of condemnation and demonstrate that human life and public spaces can still be protected. The recovery of the missing university officials, credible investigations into all such attacks, and accountability for perpetrators are immediate and necessary first steps," it added.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) At least two police personnel escorting polio vaccination teams were killed in separate incidents in Bajaur district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local media reported.

Unidentified assailants attacked the polio vaccination teams in Tabbai and Dag Qila regions of Salarzai on Monday, Geo News reported, citing a senior police official.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack on police personnel guarding polio teams and ordered the Inspector General to submit a detailed report on the incident.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Polio workers in Pakistan have been frequently targeted in attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Earlier in April, a police constable was killed and four others injured after a law enforcement party heading to provide security for polio teams in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was attacked, local media reported.

The incident happened during a polio vaccination campaign in Thall tehsil of Hangu on April 13. In a statement, the Hangu district police said that unidentified assailants opened fire on a police party, killing a police officer and injuring four others, the Dawn reported.

In February, a police officer was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a police vaccination team in Chaman district of Pakistan's Balochistan.

In a similar incident in February, polio teams were attacked in different areas of Pakistan's Lahore as parents did not allow them to administer polio drops to their children.

According to police, the suspects in the Harbanspura area did not allow the polio team to administer drops to their children and then allegedly attacked the health workers, Dawn reported.

According to the FIR, the suspects attacked the polio workers and subsequently called their accomplices, who also tortured the workers. The police team reached the spot after the polio workers dialled a helpline.

The suspects then attacked the police personnel as well. Later, the police lodged a case against them.

Similarly, the Shahdara police lodged a case against the parents of some children for allegedly harassing the female polio workers who were visiting the area to vaccinate the children.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) The US-Bangladesh trade deal "mirrors colonial economics much in the same way that the British exploited India during the pre-Independence era", according to an article in the Bangladeshi media.

The article in Dhaka's The Daily Star points out that while the trade deal with the Trump administration allows Bangladesh’s garment exports to enter the US market at "zero duty", it also makes it mandatory for Bangladesh to produce these goods with cotton and fibre imported from the US.

This means that the tremendous labour, investment, and skills accumulated in Bangladesh’s garment sector now increasingly depend on US cotton and US agricultural policy—how much they produce, the subsidies they offer, the markets they serve, and the prices they set. If those policies change one day, if cotton shifts to other markets, or if new conditions are imposed, the shock will hit Bangladeshi factories, workers’ jobs, and bank loans directly, states the article by Dhaka University Associate Professor Moshahida Sultana.

Just as nineteenth-century Lancashire–India ties turned India into a supplier of raw materials and a captive market for finished goods, today’s “zero duty, but you must use our cotton” type agreements are tying Bangladesh’s largest export sector to the upstream supply chains of U.S. agricultural and corporate interests, the article observed.

It further states that "modern trade and defence agreements carry subtle but sharp pressures -- buy more American surveillance systems, communications gear, and precision munitions. Diplomatic language may hint, sometimes bluntly, that certain suppliers should be avoided. Even if names are not mentioned, the message is clear: steer clear of Russia and China. Bit by bit, Bangladesh’s defence purchases are nudged towards a single ecosystem—American platforms, American ammunition, American software and encryption, American spare parts—each stage subject to U.S. export licences, with public funds flowing into American defence firms".

"Publicly, it is about 'maritime security' and 'threat response'. But the budget books reveal the old colonial logic in a modern uniform: a dependent state’s foreign-exchange reserves used to secure profits for foreign arms companies. The louder the talk of 'shared security', the more money drains from Dhaka into distant corporate headquarters," the article added.

It also opines that buying costly Boeing aeroplanes from the US, regardless of the fact whether such big planes are really required for the country’s needs, will eventually land Bangladesh in a debt trap.

Buying a Boeing appears on paper as “advanced aviation” and “a modern fleet”. In reality, these deals are priced in dollars, taken on through long-term loans or leases, and tied indefinitely to American parts, software, maintenance, and training. Even before such contracts fully take effect, Bangladesh’s imports of aircraft engines from the United States have already risen from Tk 137 crore to Tk 1,852 crore. Even if passenger forecasts prove wrong or the national airline becomes corrupt or inefficient, loan repayments will continue, forcing the public to bear the losses and draining foreign-currency reserves. For a debt-burdened economy, this is literally a recipe for a debt trap, the article lamented.

Source: IANS

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Dhaka, May 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Six more children died from symptoms similar to measles in Bangladesh in 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 459, as the country grapples with a worsening health crisis, according to local media reports.

One death was confirmed as measles-related by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), while the remaining five were classified as suspected, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) noted in a report.

With this, the confirmed number of deaths from measles has reached 75, while the suspected deaths are now at 384.

In the 24 hours, a total of 1,274 suspected measles cases were recorded, bringing the total cases to 57,846 during the period, the report said according to the DGHS data.

"During the last 24 hours, 243 new confirmed cases of measles were reported, which brought the total number of confirmed infections to 7,767," the report added.

42,092 suspected measles patients were hospitalised since March 15, of which 37,744 have recovered.

On Saturday, at least 12 more children died of measles and measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh. Among the 12 deaths, four were confirmed measles cases, while the remaining eight children died with symptoms of the disease, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Amid the rapid spread of the infection, health experts have called on the Bangladesh government to prioritise the ongoing measles vaccination campaign and set up "fever corners" at local health complexes to facilitate early detection of diseases such as measles and pneumonia.

The appeal was made during a joint press conference organised by the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh in Dhaka, the report noted.

On Wednesday, a group of protesters under the banner of 'Socheton Nagorik Samaj' reportedly formed a human chain in Dhaka's Dhanmondi 27 area, calling for the trial of the former interim government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and his health advisor Nurjahan Begum over the measles-related deaths, along with compensation for the victims' families.

As measles has killed more than 400 individuals since mid-March across Bangladesh, a recent report described the outbreak as an "avoidable disaster" and called for accountability from the previous interim government led by Yunus, who dismantled a functional vaccine procurement system without the capacity to rebuild it.

–IANS

ksk/khz

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) After Islamabad hosted the US-Iran peace talks, the Field Marshal Asim Munir-led Pakistan Army has received tremendous international media attention, despite being "incapable" of addressing the relentless wave of terror attacks in their homeland, a media report said.

According to the Global Terrorism Index 2026, Pakistan has, for the first time, topped the list of countries most affected by terrorism, editor Nitin J. Ticku wrote in the EurAsian Times.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for a staggering 74 per cent of these attacks and 67 per cent of the fatalities, the report said, adding that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have wreaked havoc on the Pakistani military and have, in fact, grown bolder, "more sophisticated, and more lethal".

"While Asim Munir’s army was busy projecting power and hogging the global spotlight — mediating between the US and Iran, dispatching fighter jets and troops to Riyadh — it was shockingly losing ground at home to the very militant groups it once nurtured," it said.

Since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict in late February 2026, terror attacks within Pakistan have not only continued but also intensified in several regions, especially the ones bordering Afghanistan.

Ticku notes that earlier this year, the BLA carried out one of its most coordinated attacks in years, launching strikes across at least nine districts, including the capital Quetta and the port city of Gwadar. The attacks reportedly targeted police stations, banks, markets, and security installations, killing dozens of civilians and soldiers.

He mentioned that in February, a major suicide bombing struck a Shia mosque in Islamabad, killing at least 31 worshippers. The attack, one of the deadliest in the capital in recent years, was widely attributed to ISIS-Khorasan. In one notable incident in April, a car bombing at a police post in Fateh Khel killed over 20 officers.

In a very rare incident, the Baloch insurgents also ambushed a Coast Guard patrol near Gwadar, killing three officials. "It was the first recorded incident of the BLA attacking a Pakistani maritime vessel," the editor highlighted.

Giving an account of the attacks in May, Ticku reminded that on May 7, six people, including two children, were killed when mortar shells hit a market in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan.

On May 10, militants detonated a car bomb at a checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and opened fire on police, killing at least 15 and wounding three. According to officials, gunmen stormed the police checkpost after the car blast, opening fire.

Further, he noted that a suicide bomber in a three-wheel vehicle laden with explosives killed at least nine people on May 12 and wounded 34 others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

At least five soldiers and seven militants were killed in clashes in Balochistan on May 14. In another attack the next day, militants attacked a security compound in northwest Pakistan with an explosives-laden truck and gunfire, killing at least nine paramilitary officers.

Ticku argued that Field Marshal Asim Munir’s forces are struggling to secure their own cantonments and border regions despite projecting strength abroad — be it in Riyadh or in brokering talks in Islamabad.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan’s worsening nutrition crisis and its growing economic cost came under sharp focus at a stakeholder dialogue hosted by the Pakistan Medical Association in Lahore, where experts called for urgent reforms in the country’s dairy sector, expansion of school nutrition programmes, and stronger food safety systems to address rising malnutrition and productivity losses, according to a report in the local media.

Speakers argued that despite Pakistan being among the world’s largest milk-producing and milk-consuming countries, the country continues to suffer from alarming levels of stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and food insecurity, the report in the Business Recorder said.

Addressing the forum, Dr Muhammad Nasir from the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA) said, “Pakistan produces more than 72 billion litres of milk annually, yet continues to face widespread nutrition challenges due to gaps in food safety, supply chain formalisation, and quality assurance.”

He warned that contamination, adulteration and unsafe informal milk systems were preventing the country from fully benefiting from its dairy potential. "There is something fundamentally wrong in the system when a country producing such massive quantities of milk still faces severe nutrition challenges," he said, adding: "Malnutrition and stunting were directly linked to productivity losses and economic decline."

Nasir said even small improvements in dairy productivity and formalisation could generate significant gains for farmers, exports and the national economy.

Farah Naz from GAIN stressed that Pakistan’s nutrition crisis particularly affects women and children, with high levels of stunting and deficiencies in vitamin D, calcium, zinc and iron. She said milk plays a critical role in early childhood development and cognitive growth, but affordability and the dominance of the informal milk market continue to limit access to safe nutrition.

She also called for reforms in taxation on packaged milk and stronger support for formal dairy systems to improve food safety and nutritional outcomes. She said that about 40 pc children under 5 face stunted growth. As per UNICEF data, about 10 million children in Pakistan have stunted growth.

Dr Talat Naseer Pasha of PAFDA highlighted the commitment of the Punjab government to uprooting the menace of adulteration. He said the PAFDA is working to achieve the desired goals, the report added.

Source: IANS

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Islamabad, May 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Dozens of lawmakers in Pakistan are sitting in the National and provincial assemblies while the validity of their elections is still in question, as the election tribunal was not able to provide a resolution to petitions on time, according to a report in the Pakistani media.

The election tribunals were established to give an impartial resolution of electoral disputes in a timely manner.

"The Elections Act clearly requires tribunals to decide petitions within 180 days. Yet, by April 2026, 128 of the 374 petitions originally filed were still pending," the report in the Business Recorder said.

The extended delay in resolving these disputes undermines confidence in democratic institutions as well as casts a shadow over the legitimacy of constitutional and legislative processes carried out, it highlighted.

In light of major constitutional developments that have taken place since the elections, the issue becomes even more severe.

"Constitutional amendments, needless to say, derive their legitimacy from the unquestioned authority of elected representatives. If the status of many legislators remains legally disputed, doubts inevitably arise regarding the moral and political strength of decisions made by parliament," the report emphasised.

There are legal provisions designed to discourage unnecessary delays, which, unfortunately, the relevant authorities have failed to enforce, it added.

"The law permits penalties such as mandatory costs for adjournments and even suspension of assembly membership if a returned candidate is found responsible for prolonging proceedings," the report said.

No such suspensions have been ordered, according to the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen).

The problem was further compounded by transparency concerns, especially in Punjab, as petition memos and judgments were withheld from public access by the tribunals.

This move "deprives citizens, political parties, and independent observers of the opportunity to scrutinise tribunal decisions. Such opacity only encourages speculation and reinforces suspicions about the neutrality of electoral and judicial institutions", the report added.

The political polarisation is also getting deeper as the same delays are repeatedly witnessed after Consecutive general elections, which is keeping the tensions alive long after the elections ended.

“Pakistan’s democratic future depends on ensuring that electoral disputes are resolved fairly, transparently, and within the timeframe prescribed by law,” stressed the report.

–IANS

ksk/vd

Source: IANS

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Quetta, May 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has said that its fighters had "taken control" of Dalbandin city and the Quetta-Taftan main highway in Pakistan's Balochistan and warned mineral transporters that convoys carrying what it termed "looted Baloch resources" would no longer be able to travel through the route, local media reported on Sunday.

In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group's fighters conducted 10 operations in Balochistan over 10 days, including the taking control of Dalbandin city, attacks on Pakistani forces, highway blockades and operations targeting what it termed "exploitative networks", The Balochistan Post reported.

"In these coordinated attacks, 11 personnel of the occupying Pakistani army were killed, and several others were injured, while multiple vehicles associated with exploitative companies were destroyed, and sarmachars maintained control over key highways," the statement issued on Saturday said/

The BLA said its fighters took "complete control" of Dalbandin city on Saturday in what it termed as a “highly organised and large-scale assault”, adding that all government buildings, including the local police station, were under the group's control for several hours.

"A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment was seized from the police station and taken into custody, while the official vehicles present there were set on fire," the BLA said.

According to the statement, Pakistani forces trying to advance towards the city were targeted at the Dalbandin bypass, with six personnel killed and several others injured. It further said that two army vehicles were "completely disabled" in what it termed a "successful counter-attack", while the remaining personnel fled, leaving behind several injured personnel.

The BLA said fighters seized large trailers carrying chromite on the Quetta-Taftan main highway in Mastung on May 15 and later set them on fire. It further said that an "important bridge" in the Sheikh Wasil area of Mastung was destroyed after it was targeted on the same day, disrupting what the group termed the enemy’s "supply system".

The group said its fighters took control of the Quetta-Taftan highway in Nushki and carried out snap checking for several hours, during which four "suspicious individuals" linked to the Saindak Project were detained for interrogation.

It said Pakistani forces later tried to advance into the area, but were attacked by BLA's fighters, who killed two personnel and injured several others. It further said that a military vehicle was damaged in the attack.

The BLA also said its fighters seized two cargo trucks carrying minerals in Kharan and set them on fire.

On May 16, the group claimed its fighters attacked a Pakistani forces convoy at Abad in Mastung, killing three personnel, injuring several others and disabling a military vehicle.

The group claimed responsibility for attacks on surveillance and support infrastructure in Kech district, saying fighters destroyed surveillance cameras installed at a Pakistani army post in Nasirabad, Turbat, disabled a state surveillance camera network in Hayatabad, Tump, and damaged water supply machinery used by Pakistani forces in Jabshan, Zamuran, The Balochistan Post reported.

The BLA said that it had gained "complete control" over the Quetta-Taftan main highway, a key route associated with the movement of supplies and minerals linked to the Saindak and Reko Diq projects and warned firms and transporters involved in mineral extraction not to use the route.

"Through this press release, the Baloch Liberation Army wishes to clarify that the BLA has now established complete control over the Quetta-Taftan main highway, and this entire highway now falls within the region under BLA control."

"We will no longer, under any circumstances, allow trucks, trailers, or any convoys carrying looted Baloch resources and minerals to pass through here."

The group warned firms, contractors and transporters involved in what it termed the "exploitative plundering of Baloch resources" would be responsible for their own "life and financial losses" if they continued to be part of such activities.

The BLA expressed commitment to protecting the lives and property of ordinary commuters and people of Balochistan, adding that cooperation would be extended to civilians on highways.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Following a major crackdown by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) against a suspected Pakistan-linked terror and smuggling network, seven youths from Sri Ganganagar district have been detained over alleged links to the social media network of Pakistan-based terror operative Shahzad Bhatti.

Sri Ganganagar SP Hari Shankar said that over the past 24 hours, the ATS, along with intelligence agencies, carried out raids across multiple locations in Rajasthan to identify individuals suspected of involvement in anti-national activities or maintaining cross-border contacts.

The seven detained youths are currently being jointly interrogated by multiple agencies.

Officials said no concrete evidence has yet emerged that can be publicly disclosed, but security agencies are maintaining strict surveillance and closely monitoring developments.

“Their gadgets are being monitored and we are tracing their locations. Once we are through with the investigation, we will be able to share details,” the SP told IANS.

Following the ATS raids, intelligence and security agencies across the border districts have been placed on high alert.

According to intelligence inputs, Shahzad Bhatti has allegedly been using drones to send consignments of heroin, foreign-made weapons and RDX explosives from Pakistan into India.

Sources said Bhatti was attempting to lure local youths into his network, especially individuals seeking quick money through illegal activities.

In response, ATS and police teams launched a statewide investigation into suspicious social media accounts and possible online links with Pakistan-based operatives.

Investigations into earlier cases have also revealed alleged links between local youths and Bhatti’s network.

On March 26, Akashdeep, a resident of Kera Chak village under the jurisdiction of Lalgarh police station in Sri Ganganagar district, was arrested after investigators found that he was allegedly in regular contact with Bhatti through Instagram and WhatsApp.

Police said he had also allegedly threatened villagers using the gangster’s name.

Later, on April 6, Hanumangarh Police arrested Sunil alias “Dholu”, a resident of Sureshia Colony in Hanumangarh Junction, after recovering an illegal country-made pistol from his possession.

During the investigation, police reportedly found Bhatti’s WhatsApp number and several incriminating messages on his mobile phone.

Sunil already faces nearly 10 criminal cases.

Similarly, on March 25, Hanumangarh Police arrested Jaswant Kumar alias Sonu, a resident of Kishanpura Dikhnada village, for allegedly maintaining contact with Bhatti through social media and sharing photographs of weapons.

Source: IANS

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Indore, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Thursday announced a special religious tour to Nepal under the Bharat Gaurav scheme, offering pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh and nearby regions an opportunity to visit major spiritual and tourist destinations in the neighbouring country.

The 'Pashupatinath Nepal Darshan Yatra' will leave from Indore on June 12 through a Deluxe AC tourist train, officials said on Wednesday.

According to IRCTC, this is the first time a Bharat Gaurav tourist train is being operated for passengers travelling outside India.

The nine night and 10-day journey will cover prominent destinations in Nepal, including the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan National Park and the Manakamana Temple.

The package also includes a ropeway ride at the Manakamana Temple and a Jeep Safari in Chitwan, arranged by the IRCTC.

Passengers can board the train from several stations across Madhya Pradesh, including Indore, Ujjain, Shujalpur, Sehore, Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal), Itarsi, Narsinghpur, Jabalpur, Katni and Satna.

Rahul Holkar, Executive Tourism (Indore), said the train will consist of 14 coaches with three accommodation categories -- First AC, Second AC and Third AC.

"Dining facilities will be available for passengers onboard, with two restaurant coaches arranged for this purpose," Holkar added.

He said that the Nepal Darshan package includes five-night accommodation in three-star hotels along with local sightseeing through AC buses.

IRCTC has fixed different fares for each category.

The fare for the Third AC Comfort category has been set at Rs 62,710 per person, while the Second AC Deluxe category will cost Rs 76,550 per person. The First AC Superior category has been priced at Rs 90,400 per person.

The package includes rail travel, onboard and offboard meals, hotel accommodation, local transportation, sightseeing, tour escorts, travel insurance, security and housekeeping services.

IRCTC officials clarified that the Nepal Darshan Yatra is a guided tourist excursion and should not be viewed as a conventional international tour package.

Bookings for the Bharat Gaurav Nepal Yatra will be available through IRCTC's official website and authorised offices.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday issued a stern warning to Pakistan, stating that any hostile act against India would invite consequences "never witnessed before".

Reaffirming India’s policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism, he said the country would respond decisively to any threat to its sovereignty and security.

Rajnath Singh said India’s national security policy has undergone a historic and comprehensive transformation over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said India has adopted a policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism and conveyed a strong message to the world that any hostile act against the country would invite decisive consequences.

“India has sent a clear message to the world that we maintain a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ against terrorism. If Pakistan attempts to cast an evil eye on us, then what has never happened before will inevitably occur,” he added.

The Defence Minister was addressing the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Shri Rao Dudaji in Merta, Nagaur district, on Thursday.

He said Rajasthan has always inspired the nation through its traditions of sacrifice, courage and patriotism, noting that families across the state proudly contribute soldiers to the armed forces.

Referring to Rao Dudaji as a symbol of valour and righteousness, he said his life continues to inspire younger generations with ideals of courage, commitment and devotion to justice and dharma.

Rajnath Singh said India’s armed forces have demonstrated exceptional military capability through the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and, most recently, through “Operation Sindoor”.

Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, he said the nation responded firmly and made it clear that India does not provoke others, but will respond decisively when challenged.

“If Indian citizens are attacked, we will retaliate even across borders. No boundary can stop India from defending its people,” he asserted.

Emphasising women empowerment, the Defence Minister said respect for women is deeply rooted in Indian civilisation.

He highlighted initiatives such as “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” and the Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment Act aimed at strengthening women’s representation and safety.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, speaking on the occasion, said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister and the leadership of the Defence Minister, rapid modernisation of the armed forces has strengthened India’s self-reliance in the defence sector.

He praised the role of the Indian Army during “Operation Sindoor” and said Rajasthan’s brave heroes continue to inspire the nation with their legacy of sacrifice and patriotism.

The Chief Minister said the state government is committed to preserving and promoting Rajasthan’s glorious cultural and historical heritage for future generations.

He announced that panoramas dedicated to eminent personalities and historical figures are being developed across the state, including Mahavir Ji, Vidyasagar Ji Maharaj, Bhakt Shiromani Karma Bai, Jasnath Ji, Khema Baba, Bhamashah, Rao Chandrasen, Sant Shri Durbalnath Ji, Veer Durgadas, Hadi Rani, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and Veer Tejaji.

Sharma further said the government is implementing development initiatives across the agriculture, water management and infrastructure sectors.

He said projects such as the Ramjal Setu Link Project, the Yamuna Water Agreement, strengthening of the Indira Gandhi Canal and Gang Canal, as well as the Mahi, Dewas and Som-Kamla-Amba projects, are progressing rapidly across the state.

Source: IANS

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Dhaka, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Garbage collection can earn lucrative profits in the Bangladesh capital; so attractive are the earnings that acquiring the “job” requires “blessings” from those in power, according to a media report.

In the heart of Dhaka, the seemingly mundane business of household waste management has become a gainful trade, deeply entangled with political patronage, according to a report in Bangladesh’s popular Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Thursday.

It revealed how control over garbage collection in the capital has shifted with each regime change, where local politicians wield influence to secure contracts, impose inflated fees, and muscle out competitors.

What should be a straightforward municipal service has evolved into a multi-crore “waste economy”, where power and profit intersect.

The newspaper spoke to a cross-section of people, including vendors and officials.

Shahabuddin Ali, once a scrap iron dealer in Old Dhaka, shared how small entrepreneurs are caught in this system.

Hoping for better returns, he invested 12 lakh Bangladeshi taka as a non-refundable deposit to secure a contract for waste collection in Ward 38 of Dhaka South City Corporation. He employed 24 workers and purchased vans, confident of steady profits.

He reportedly managed to secure the contract through an influential person during the interim government in Bangladesh, the report added.

Within two months of an elected government taking over, local Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists allegedly took over his operations.

“They threatened to beat me up and took away my job,” Ali told Prothom Alo, alleging that his appeals to influential leaders yielded nothing.

Left without earnings, except for the small shop he had inherited, his life’s savings soon dried up in supporting his family.

A similar story was cited about a businesswoman who received a waste-removal contract in Ward 58 of Dhaka South City in September 2024.

However, local Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists allegedly prevented her from working, claiming she was involved with the now-banned Jubo Mohila League.

According to the report, Dhaka South City Corporation has 75 wards, each of which assigns garbage management to private players through tenders.

Officially, the deposit now ranges between Tk 15–17 lakh depending on ward size. Yet, in practice, contracts are controlled by political leaders, it claimed.

There have been no mayors or councillors in the two city corporation areas of Dhaka for the past two years, the report further pointed out.

It also claimed that even under the previous Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League rule, its councillors and activists dominated the trade.

Following the party’s ouster in August 2024, Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and affiliates took control, the report added.

Although city regulations cap household waste-collection fees at Tk 100 per flat, residents often end up paying double or more, according to the report.

They are charged between Tk 120 and Tk 1,000 each, depending on the locality and the stature of the homeowner or business establishment.

Residents complained to the newspaper that they were “held hostage” by waste collectors, while city officials admitted to political patronage.

The trade, the report underscored, is highly profitable.

Even at the official Tk 100 rate, a ward can generate a monthly profit of Tk 3 lakh after expenses. With inflated fees of Tk 150–200, profits soar to Tk 4–5 lakh per ward.

Across 75 wards, this translates to Tk 3 crore per month, or Tk 36 crore per year. Urban planners, however, estimate even higher figures, the report added.

Based on 293,881 registered holdings in Dhaka South, the average collection of Tk 150 per flat yields Tk 26 crore monthly, amounting to over Tk 317 crore annually.

This dwarfs the city’s official sanitation budget, underscoring how waste collection has become a parallel economy, according to Prothom Alo.

Without local accountability, political groups have entrenched themselves in the trade, it said, adding that city administrators insist they are cracking down on contractors who exceed the prescribed Tk 100 per household charge.

Licences will be revoked for violators, they claimed.

Yet residents remain sceptical, pointing to the entrenched nexus between politics and business, the report added.

-- IANS

jb/dan

Source: IANS

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Chennai, May 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday urged the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of six fishermen from the state arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and to retrieve their seized fishing boat.

In a letter addressed to Union Minister Jaishankar, Chief Minister Vijay expressed concern over the continuing arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities and highlighted the growing distress among coastal communities in the state.

Drawing EAM Jaishankar's attention to the latest incident, the Chief Minister said six fishermen from Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The arrested fishermen were identified as Alex, Antony Rajan, Santhana Arokiyas, Arul D'Britto, Albert and Sahaya Selvasanu.

According to the letter, the fishermen had ventured into the sea on May 10 in a country boat from the Mandapam coastal region for routine fishing operations before they were detained by the Sri Lankan Naval personnel on May 12.

Chief Minister Vijay said that the repeated arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen had become a serious humanitarian and livelihood issue affecting hundreds of fishing families dependent on the Palk Bay region for their survival.

The Chief Minister also added that 54 Tamil Nadu fishermen are currently lodged in Sri Lankan prisons following earlier arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In addition, he noted that Sri Lankan authorities have so far seized 264 fishing boats belonging to fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

Stressing the need for urgent intervention by the Centre, Chief Minister Vijay urged EAM Jaishankar to immediately engage with the Sri Lankan government through appropriate diplomatic channels to secure the fishermen's release and ensure the return of their boats at the earliest.

The letter comes amid renewed tension in the Palk Strait region, where incidents involving Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy continue to recur despite repeated bilateral discussions between India and Sri Lanka on the long-pending fishing dispute.

The Tamil Nadu government has consistently said that the livelihood concerns of traditional fishermen should be handled with sensitivity and has repeatedly sought permanent diplomatic and humanitarian solutions to prevent arrests and boat seizures in the future.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) India will be supplying fertiliser to Nepal as a request has been received from Kathmandu amid the supply disruptions that the Himalayan country is facing due to the West Asian conflict, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday.

"We have received a request from Nepal for the supply of fertilisers. This is being processed within the existing framework of cooperation," Jaiswal said in the MEA’s weekly briefing.

Nepal is sourcing 80,000 tonnes of fertiliser, which includes 60,000 tonnes of urea and 20,000 tonnes of DAP, from India through a government-to-government (G2G) deal. This move aims to prevent shortages during the upcoming paddy transplantation season, with shipments expected to help stabilise supplies amid global disruptions.

The MEA spokesperson also said that India has been "supplying energy products to countries in the neighbourhood. We have been supplying diesel to Bangladesh through the high-speed diesel friendship pipeline that we have. We also got some additional requests from Bangladesh, which we met and we are meeting".

"We've also been supplying energy products to Bhutan as per the existing regimen, as well as Nepal, as per the commercial agreement and the arrangement that we have presently with them. We have likewise supplied energy products to Sri Lanka, and there are some arrangements that are in the works right now with Mauritius as well," he added.

Nepal's Cabinet approved the urgent purchase of fertiliser after a shipment expected from the Gulf was disrupted due to the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, according to media reports. The supply is being handled by India's state-owned Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited, and the fertilisers are scheduled to arrive by mid-August.

The deal is part of a broader, ongoing MoU signed in 2022 between India and Nepal regarding fertiliser supply, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a press release.

Source: IANS

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Kathmandu, May 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday expressed grave concern over the forced eviction and displacement of several thousand residents from informal settlements along riverside corridors in Kathmandu, as the Nepali government bulldozed those settlements.

The government began the campaign to remove the settlements by bulldozing houses starting on April 25, drawing both praise and criticism from different sections of society. The government moved to demolish those structures, claiming that many of the people living on the riverbeds were falsely posing as landless individuals.

Following the evictions, several affected families have been kept in temporary housing centres across the Kathmandu Valley.

However, the move by Nepal’s new government has raised concerns among domestic and international human rights bodies. The UN human rights experts are among those expressing concern.

In a statement issued on Monday through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the experts said they were deeply concerned about the forceful eviction of people living along riverbanks in Kathmandu.

“We are deeply troubled by reports that thousands of people — many of whom are internally displaced and in situations of acute vulnerability — are being evicted without adequate safeguards,” the experts said. “Such actions risk violating Nepal’s obligations under international human rights law and its own constitutional protections.”

They reminded that Nepal is a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which guarantees the right to adequate housing, including protection against forced evictions. “Under international standards, evictions are permissible only in exceptional circumstances and must comply with strict safeguards,” the statement said.

The statement pointed out that Nepali authorities issued only a 24-hour notice to residents in the Thapathali, Manohara, and Sinamangal settlements of Kathmandu, followed by rapid demolition.

“Such short notice fails to meet the requirements for meaningful consultation and adequate preparation,” the experts said. “Affected communities must be informed, consulted, and provided access to legal remedies and assistance.”

Evictions have continued in Balkhu, Bansighat, Balaju, Sankhamul, the Anamnagar area alongside the Dhobikhola corridor, and in the Kapan area of Kathmandu district. The UN experts said they were appalled that two residents were found dead during the demolition drive.

However, in a recent Facebook post, Prime Minister Shah stated that no one would be rendered homeless and that the constitutional right to housing would be ensured. He urged the public not to be misled by rumours or panic unnecessarily.

“The steps taken by the government are not aimed at displacing citizens, but at ensuring the right to housing and finding a sustainable solution,” he wrote, appealing to people to avoid confusion and misinformation.

Earlier, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issued a joint letter to Prime Minister Balendra Shah expressing concern over forced slum evictions and the passage of ordinances.

They urged the new government to use its parliamentary majority to push for lasting protections for human rights, the rule of law, transitional justice, and the rights of minorities.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Balendra Shah of Nepal deliberately refused to meet India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and United States envoy Sergio Gor on separate occasions, sparking debate in Kathmandu about sovereignty, protocol, and the risks of straining ties with major partners, according to reports.​

“PM’s policy of not meeting foreign officials needs more nuance,” highlighted an editorial in The Kathmandu Post, adding that he “need not meet every foreign official. But a blanket refusal may not be a wise policy.”​

It was in reference to reports stating that Misri’s planned two-day visit was postponed after it became clear that Shah would not meet him.​

Sections of Nepal’s media noted widespread speculation that the Prime Minister’s reluctance stemmed from his policy of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign officials below ministerial rank, especially amid tensions over the Lipulekh border issue.​

A Tibet Tribune report on Monday claimed that Shah’s refusal was linked to Nepal’s objection to the India-China Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via Lipulekh Pass.​

The controversy centres on Nepal’s claim that the high-altitude trijunction area of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura belongs to it under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, while India insists the territory lies within Uttarakhand and has historically been used for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954.​

The online news site described Shah’s “equal stature” policy as a deliberate diplomatic signal, insisting on parity in engagements.​

“Most recently, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s scheduled Kathmandu visit was cancelled after his repeated requests for an audience with the Nepali Prime Minister went unanswered,” added The Kathmandu Post editorial.​

According to the editorial, Misri “was coming to Nepal to officially invite Shah to visit India, on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.​

The newspaper further stated that “both in the case of Misri and Gor, other members of the Cabinet like Swarnim Wagle and Sisir Khanal had urged Shah to reconsider his decision. But Shah was firm on his stand”.​

The Nepali Premier, the editorial added, had earlier accepted an unofficial invitation, and preparations were underway in both Kathmandu and New Delhi for his visit.​

“Yet it was later revealed that Prime Minister Shah would not be making any foreign visits for a year,” it said, warning that “India must understandably feel snubbed”.​

An earlier report in The Kathmandu Post noted that Shah avoided meeting United States Assistant Secretary of State Samir Paul Kapur, reinforcing his stance of selective engagement.​

Media reports also stated that Shah refused to meet Gor, a claim his office had formally communicated.​

Gor instead met Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle.​

Analysts in Kathmandu interpreted Shah’s move as an attempt to establish a new diplomatic protocol, though critics warned it could unsettle foreign partners, as the Khumbule news website reported earlier this month.​

However, according to Shah’s press aide Dipal Dahal, the Prime Minister’s schedule was “too tight”.​

Local analysts, however, stressed that he is consciously avoiding meetings with diplomats below head-of-state or ministerial rank, another report claimed.​

“Shah can, and should, refrain from meeting every foreign official who arrives in Nepal. Such casual meetings only degrade the image of the highest office in the land. Yet he should also be mindful that Nepal’s close friends do not feel offended and the country’s interests are not compromised in the process,” summed up The Kathmandu Post editorial.​

Source: IANS

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Kathmandu, May 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The construction of a school building in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City in Kailali district of Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province has begun with financial assistance from the Indian government, the Indian Embassy said on Monday.

Narayan Singh, First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, laid the foundation stone for the construction of Siddhanath Secondary School on Monday during a function attended by local representatives and stakeholders.

The school building is being constructed with financial assistance of approximately NPR 36 million from the Government of India under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) scheme, the Embassy said in a statement. The project will be implemented through Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Kailali.

Mayor of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Gopal Hamal and other stakeholders appreciated the developmental support provided by the Indian government and expressed confidence that the new school infrastructure would help improve the learning environment for students and teachers in the area.

“India and Nepal, as close neighbours, continue to engage in wide-ranging cooperation across multiple sectors,” the Embassy said. “The implementation of HICDPs reflects India’s continued support for Nepal’s efforts in promoting growth and development, particularly through the strengthening of infrastructure in priority sectors.”

The HICDPs programme has emerged as one of the key pillars of the India–Nepal development partnership, supporting grassroots development initiatives in Nepal. While India has also been supporting the implementation of large infrastructure projects, HICDPs contribute to local-level infrastructure development that helps local governments deliver public services to the people.

Launched in 2003, HICDPs were previously known as Small Development Projects. The initiative supports small-scale infrastructure and community-based projects across Nepal through local authorities, focusing on priority sectors identified by the Government of Nepal, including health, education, drinking water, sanitation and drainage, rural electrification, hydropower, and river training works.

In a significant boost to the initiative, a new agreement reached in January 2024 increased the ceiling of Indian financial assistance to NPR 20 million per project, up from NPR 5 million.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has honoured Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir rather than holding the country accountable for its protection of Osama Bin Laden, its sponsorship of the Taliban and the humiliation its double-dealing delivered to the United States, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote in The Sunday Guardian.

"In doing so, President Trump has systematically shredded a quarter century effort to build a US-India partnership," he noted.

Rubin described Munir as an "unapologetic terror apologist" with both American and Indian blood on his hands.

Trump turned to Pakistan to mediate between the US and Iran on the West Asia conflict, effectively placing it on a "pedestal".

Rubin reminds in The Sunday Guardian that President Trump had criticised Pakistan's "lies and deceit" during his first term, and is now gushing about Pakistanis as "brilliant people".

He wrote that perhaps Pakistani authorities believe Trump will sell them advanced technology to combat India's military advantage, or perhaps Munir believes he can use the opportunity for "US mediation" on Kashmir to Pakistan's advantage.

If Munir hopes to take advantage of the situation, then he is forgetting the unhappy history of the US-Pakistan ties.

Rubin explains how United States and Pakistan never shared a common goal.

"America sought to stop if not roll back Soviet expansion; Pakistan was more obsessed with India. Pakistani officials had a unique ability not only to start every single war with India, but to convince themselves and Pakistani society after they lost that Pakistan was the victim from the start," he said.

Moreover, the writer reminds that neither President Lyndon Johnson nor Richard Nixon believed the Pakistani narrative and so the United States never really considered mobilising to help Pakistan against India, as Pakistani authorities demanded. This was true even under National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger whose "animosity" toward Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was "unhinged".

Rubin called Pakistan "a criminal state" in The Sunday Guardian.

He highlighted that even though nominally an ally, the United States has repeatedly sanctioned Pakistan over the past 50 years.

Notably, after Pakistan detonated its nuclear weapon in 1998, Glenn Amendment sanctions came into force and they remained on Pakistan until 2001, when President George W. Bush waived sanctions to again get Pakistani cooperation on Afghanistan.

Rubin mentioned that Asim Munir fails to remember that with US forces no longer in Afghanistan, the strategic need for Pakistan has again disappeared.

Perhaps, Munir is forgetting that whatever favour he believes Pakistan can accrue from America is meaningless because: "The United States uses Pakistan and then turns its back on the country as soon as Washington no longer needs its assistance".

"Pakistan may believe it is playing Trump for a fool, but the opposite may be true. Pakistan will never collect on Trump promises," Michael Rubin said.

Source: IANS

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Dhaka, May 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Political cartoons in Bangladesh, once regarded as a sharp and fearless medium of public dissent and satire, are steadily disappearing from mainstream media amid growing corporate influence, self-censorship, and the monetisation of news content, according to a report.

The concerns were highlighted in an interview published by Bangladesh-based English daily, The Daily Star, authored by Khairul Hassan Jahin, in which leading Bangladeshi cartoonist Mehedi Haque reflected on the shrinking space for political satire in the country.

Haque, who serves as Executive Editor of the satirical magazine ''Unmad'', Senior Cartoonist at New Age, and Editor and Publisher of Dhaka Comics, said the decline began during a prolonged period of political dominance by a single party, when major corporate groups increasingly entered the media sector and prioritised maintaining favourable ties with the government.

According to him, informal editorial restrictions gradually emerged, particularly around criticism or satire directed at ruling political figures.

He also pointed to the amplifying role of social media, saying online backlash often intensified the perceived risks associated with political cartooning.

"Artists were presented with financially rewarding opportunities, including projects aligned with the ruling establishment. Many preferred those 'safe' options over the uncertainty of political satire," Haque said in the interview.

He added that the decline of political cartoons is driven less by direct censorship and more by self-censorship among artists who fear backlash and professional consequences.

Haque also warned that humour itself is vanishing from public discourse, replaced increasingly by outrage-driven content that is easier to monetise online.

The cartoonist noted that political satire historically functioned as a barometer of press freedom and public dissent in Bangladesh.

"What is being lost is humour itself," he said, adding that satire traditionally allowed societies to critique power structures while reducing anger and division through wit.

The Daily Star report also highlighted Haque's criticism of corporate ownership in the media industry, which he said has contributed to greater editorial caution around sensitive political issues.

Despite receiving legal notices over his work, Haque said that factual reporting and responsible satire allowed him to defend his cartoons confidently.

Bangladesh has a long tradition of political cartoons, with satirical illustrations historically appearing prominently in newspapers and magazines as commentary on corruption, governance, and social issues.

Earlier reports also documented how political cartoons once played a major role in protest movements and democratic discourse in the country.

Observers say the conversation around the decline of political cartoons also reflects broader concerns over media freedom and the pressures faced by journalists and artists in Bangladesh's evolving political environment.

Recent international reports have additionally flagged growing challenges for the country's media institutions and concerns over press freedom.

Source: IANS

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Karachi, May 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has impacted the wedding-obsessed country, writes Fatima S Attarwala, host of All Things Money, in 'Dawn'.

The Pakistani daily quoted Izzah Zaman, co-founder of wedding-tech startup 'Shadiyana', saying that amid surging fuel rates and inflation, pricing volatility has reached new highs.

"Several venues have rai­sed rates by up to Rs 500 per head, while others are refusing to commit to winter pricing altogether, citing uncertainty around oil and input costs," Zaman added.

Attarwala writes that the Pakistan government's stern measures have led to further stricter regulatory enforcement that includes a 10 p.m. wedding cutoff, police intervention in cases of violations, and crackdowns on the one-dish policy, resulting in venue closures across Islamabad.

Describing the operational challenges, she noted that weddings in the capital, in particular, are "increasingly vulnerable to external disruptions".

She attributed security cordons near the Margalla Hills during peace talks between the US and Iran, which was mediated by Pakistan, as the reason.

She emphasised that city-wide VIP protocols lead to delay in guest arrivals without warning.

Media reports suggest that last winter's wedding season in Karachi alone was worth around Rs 33 billion, while 'Shadiyana' estimates Pakistani market at around Rs 900 million.

Attarwala mentioned in 'Dawn' that all of this is unfolding within an industry that has historically operated at enormous scale, albeit through a "fragmented and informal economy".

Historically, Pakistan's wedding economy has been disorganised. Entire neighbourhoods, such as North Nazimabad in Karachi, function as dense clusters of 60 to 70 wedding halls, meaning discovery of a venue is largely physical and inefficient.

Therefore, searching a venue often means driving from one location to another, only to find that most wedding halls are already booked.

According to the Pakistani newspaper, the average wedding ticket size on 'Shadiyana' stood at around Rs. 6,00,000 before the latest inflationary wave driven by the US-Iran conflict. Through the platform, wedding budgets have ranged from as little as Rs 20,000 to as much as Rs 4.4 million.

However, Attarwala said that the broader trend poi­nts towards contraction.

"A startup that began operations during the pandemic, then navigated the Rus­sia-Ukraine conflict, domestic inf­l­ation, a near-default economic crisis, and now ongoing geopolitical tensions, has effectively grown alo­ngside a series of economic shocks," she wrote.

Moreover, the writer highlighted that West Asia war's impact on Pakistan's wedding economy is reflected by its consumer behaviour.

"Guest lists that once averaged 400 people have now shrunk to around 150. Budgets for venues, photography, and catering are also being reduced," she wrote in 'Dawn'.

Even as the conflict between US and Iran continues and fiscal pressures tighten for ordinary people, "weddings will still take place, albeit on significantly smaller budgets".

Source: IANS

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