Nazarbayev Ally Set to Win Kazakh Vote as Hundreds Protest

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the interim president of Kazakhstan hand-picked by veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev as his successor, will confirm his position on Sunday in an election triggered by Nazarbayev's resignation. Nazarbayev, who had run the oil-rich former Soviet republic for almost three decades before stepping down in March, and retains sweeping powers, chose the 66-year-old diplomat as his successor, making the outcome of the vote all but certain. Hundreds of people protested on Sunday, criticising the election as undemocratic. But the smooth transition is positive news for its neighbours Russia and China as well as for foreign energy and mining companies who have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the Central Asian state. For many of its 12 million registered voters, Tokayev, a former prime minister and foreign minister, was the only familiar face among seven candidates in a brief and uneventful campaign. Natalya, a pensioner, said after casting her ballot on Sunday that she had voted for the incumbent. "Well, Nazarbayev is no longer on the ballot and I do not know any of the other candidates," she said. Protests disbursed Nazarbayev, 78, who holds the official title of Yelbasy, or national leader, and continues to run the ruling Nur Otan party, has routinely taken over 90 percent of the vote in elections described by Western observers as neither free nor fair. Kazakhstan's rubber-stamp parliament, whose upper chamber Tokayev chaired before assuming the presidency, is devoid of opposition, and dissent is largely stifled through control of traditional and electronic media and social networks. Facebook and Telegram, a popular mobile messaging app, were for instance inaccessible early on Sunday in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. Still, hundreds people chanting "Shame!" staged protests in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, the capital that was named after Nazarbayev on Tokayev's suggestion. Reuters correspondents saw police clad in riot gear detain dozens of demonstrators in each of the two cities as they dispersed the rallies. Tokayev said after casting has ballot in Nur-Sultan that he was urging both police and protesters to be tolerant and planned to include young activists critical of the government in a "special committee" to promote dialogue. Uncertainty lingers Tokayev himself said he had no doubt that he would win the election and promised to take guidance from Nazarbayev on strategic matters. Insiders say the men effectively share the presidential palace, although Nazarbayev's new office is in a different building. The arrangement under which Nazarbayev effectively remains in charge ensures policy continuity - but also means political uncertainty will linger until he withdraws from politics. Tokayev appointed some new deputy ministers but eschewed major personnel or policy changes as interim leader. On the foreign policy side, Tokayev, who studied at an elite Soviet diplomatic school in Moscow and focused on China, is likely to continue Nazarbayev's policy of balancing between Russia, China and the West. That approach has helped Kazakhstan attract foreign investment and open up markets for its oil and metals exports.

Modi Visits Maldives, Signaling India's Return as Key Ally

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first overseas trip since being elected to a second term by traveling to the Maldives, where the new president pledged closer ties with New Delhi in a departure from his predecessor's pro-China policy. Modi met with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday evening and later addressed the Maldives' Parliament. It was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the South Asian archipelago nation in eight years. According to a joint statement, Solih reaffirmed his government's “India-first policy” and pledged full support toward deepening “the multifaceted, mutually beneficial partnership between India and the Maldives.” Solih's stand is a marked shift from his predecessor Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who developed close ties with Beijing in an area India considers as its backyard. Several agreements were signed between the two countries covering health, cargo and passenger transportation by sea, customs services and other sectors. India had been concerned with Yameen's leaning toward China, which is seeking more influence in the Indian Ocean region. Yameen had pledged support for China's “Belt and Road” initiative and China invested in many infrastructure projects in the Maldives. Addressing Parliament, Modi underscored the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, saying “it has been our lifeline, and also the highway for trade and prosperity.” He called terrorism was the biggest threat facing the world and there could be no distinction between the so-called “good” and “bad” terrorists. “State sponsorship of terrorism is the biggest threat today. It is time for a global conference on terrorism,” he said. The Maldives is predominantly Sunni Muslim and has been seen as a fertile ground for militants, many of whom fought with the Islamic State group in Syria. During his visit, India and the Maldives agreed to set up a joint working group on counterterrorism, countering violent extremism and deradicalization. The two countries also agreed to strengthen coordination in enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region “through coordinated patrolling and aerial surveillance, exchange of information, and capacity building,” the joint statement said. India and the Maldives highlighted the importance of combating climate change, which especially affects developing countries including small island developing states such as the Maldives, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. Modi will travel to Sri Lanka, another of India's neighbors, on Sunday for a one-day visit. His choice of the Maldives and Sri Lanka for his first overseas trip since being reelected this spring “underlines the continued emphasis that the government lays on the `neighborhood first' policy,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said ahead of Modi's trip. Since first becoming prime minister in 2014, Modi has stressed a “neighborhood first” policy for the South Asian region, promising neighbors prioritized benefits of India's economic growth. The Maldives mended ties with India with Solih's election as president last year. Solih's first overseas trip was to India, and since then, several Maldivian ministers have visited India for bilateral talks.

High Wind Delays Retrieval of Climbers' Bodies in India

Retrieving the bodies of five climbers of an international team from a notoriously dangerous Himalayan mountain isn't immediately possible because helicopters are having difficulty operating in strong turbulence, an Indian official said Saturday.    Uttarakhand state Magistrate Vijay Jogdande also said the Indian Mountaineering Foundation could launch a ground expedition to help evacuate the bodies, which have been spotted at an altitude of 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).    He was responding to a statement by the foundation Saturday that it was ready to launch an expedition. The foundation complained that it has been waiting for state permission for the past three days.    Veteran British mountaineer Martin Moran led the team of four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian on the expedition on Nanda Devi East. Moran's Scotland-based company said the climbers set out May 13. Contact with a separate trekking team at base camp was lost May 26 following an avalanche. Five bodies have been spotted, but all eight missing climbers are feared dead.    The foundation said its team of highly experienced mountaineers was standing by to move while it had a window of 15 to 20 days to complete the operation before monsoon rains arrive.

Five Countries to Join UN Security Council Ranks in January

Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam were elected Friday to two-year terms on the U.N. Security Council. The five will join the 15-nation body responsible for maintaining international peace and security on Jan. 1, 2020. There is usually little suspense in the General Assembly for the vote, as regional groups typically pre-select a candidate from within their bloc to run uncontested. This year, Tunisia, Niger and Vietnam ran unopposed. So did Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, until just hours before Friday morning's vote, when El Salvador announced it would challenge the tiny island nation for the one open seat in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Diplomats expressed surprise ahead of the vote as to why El Salvador would come in at the last minute, when the regional bloc had agreed in December to put up Saint Vincent as their candidate. "You don't do it like that," one western diplomat said disapprovingly. Most other countries appeared to agree, with El Salvador winning only six of the 193 votes cast. Eastern Europe did run a contested race this year, endorsing two candidates, Estonia and Romania. Estonia, which joined the U.N. in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has never served on the Security Council. It beat four-time council veteran Romania after two rounds of ballots, exceeding the necessary two-thirds majority needed. Member states cast secret ballots and candidates must win a two-thirds majority of votes to succeed, even if they are running uncontested. Candidate countries cap off their often years-long campaigns with parties in the lead-up to the vote. Reaction "I want to reiterate that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines views this as an historic occasion," Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told reporters after the election. "We are the smallest country ever to be elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council." The island nation has a population of just 110,000. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has aligned with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. "Non-interference, non-intervention, peaceful settlement of serious difficulties pertaining to governance," the prime minister said when asked what his government's policy is toward Venezuela.   Vietnam had nearly unanimous support in the General Assembly, winning 192 of 193 votes. "As Vietnam went through decades of war, we hope that we can bring to the council the experience of Vietnam, the country that has been able to rebuild after the war and deal with many other issues," said the president's special envoy Le Hoai Trung. Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said his nation would try to be a "bridge builder" on the council and contribute to trying to solve some of the most important peace and security issues. Council dynamics "With the election of Saint Vincent and Vietnam, the Security Council could tilt a little towards China and Russia next year," said Richard Gowan, U.N. Director, International Crisis Group. "Saint Vincent has stuck with Maduro in Venezuela, and Vietnam hews to a pretty robust anti-Western line in U.N. debates."  Tunisia and Niger will represent Africa on the council. Gowan told VOA they could figure prominently if Libya and the Sahel continue atop the agenda. "It will be hard to ignore their views on issues like the spillover of violence from Libya and the worsening security situation in Burkina Faso," he said. The five new council members will replace Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru and Poland, whose terms end Dec. 31, 2019. They will join the other non-permanent members — Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa — as well as the permanent five members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

British Airways Resumes Flights to Pakistan

British Airways on Sunday resumed service to Pakistan after a more than decade long hiatus.  BA stopped flying to Pakistan in 2008 after a suicide bombing attack that killed more than 50 people at a Marriott Hotel in the capital, Islamabad.  The attack was one of many during a period of Islamist militant violence in Pakistan. BA said at the time that it would suspend operation to the South Asian country, declaring: "We will not compromise on the safety of our customers, staff or planes." But security situation has since improved and BA dispatched its first direct flight from London Heathrow to Islamabad on Sunday, becoming the only western airline to serve Pakistan. Until now, Pakistan's national airline, PIA, was the only carrier to fly directly from Britain. Some Middle Eastern airlines, includingQatar, Etihad, Emirates and Turkish Airlines, also provide service to the country.  Pakistan’s economy has been weakened by years of political unrest and international isolation over state-sponsored terrorism. The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan is hoping the return ofBritish Airways to the country's skies will send a positive signal to other international carriers. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan Leaders Hold Rare Talks

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani held their first face-to-face talks Friday on the sidelines of an annual summit of Islamic countries in Saudi Arabia. The rare interaction at the highest level is the latest sign of easing tensions in traditionally acrimonious relations between the neighbors.  The animosity stems from mutual accusations of supporting militant attacks against each other. An Afghan presidential spokesman said the meeting in the Saudi city of Makkah was a prelude to Ghani's official visit to Islamabad scheduled for next month. The Afghan leader has previously visited Pakistan but the upcoming trip will be his first since Khan took office last August.  "Afghanistan is ready to leave its bitter history with Pakistan behind, and move toward constructive state-to-state ties based on mutual respect rather than recrimination and hostility," tweeted spokesman Samim Arif. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said that both Khan and Ghani agreed on the need to work closely for intensifying cooperation on such issues as energy, security, trade, and cultural collaboration. The prime minister, it said, reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "He reiterated the belief that an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process was indispensable for a political solution," the statement added.  Earlier this week, Afghan national security advisor, Hamadullah Mohib, visited Pakistan where he held extensive discussions with the country's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, on bilateral security matters and Afghan peace. Afghan officials routinely allege leaders and fighters of the Taliban use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil to orchestrate insurgent activities inside Afghanistan.  Islamabad rejects the charges and, in turn, accuses Kabul of providing shelter and support to anti-state militants plotting cross-border attacks in Pakistan.   Pakistani officials take credit for arranging ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Taliban to help promote a negotiated settlement to the deadly Afghan war.  The months-long dialogue, however, has not offered any major breakthrough. The Taliban wants a complete withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces from Afghanistan before it stops fighting and engages in intra-Afghan peace talks.  Washington insists a final agreement must cover not only a troop withdrawal timetable, but a ceasefire by the Taliban and their engagement in talks with the Kabul government.

Russia Hosts Feuding Afghan Factions for Talks

The Taliban and other Afghan factions have wrapped another round of talks in Moscow to discuss peace settlement. The negotiations followed a previous round of consultations in February. Russia has sought to play power broker in Afghanistan, attempting to mediate between warring factions as it jockeys with Washington for influence in a country where a U.S.-led coalition has been fighting for more than 17 years. Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, said Thursday that the Moscow talks focused on the ceasefire, adding that “we made some progress, spectacular progress, on some issues.” Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Afghanistan, said that he met with the Taliban to discuss “ways to help speed up the process of national reconciliation in Afghanistan.”

Deadly Suicide Blast Hits Afghan Military Academy in Kabul

Afghan officials say a suicide bomb blast near a military academy in Kabul has killed at least six people and injured six others. The Interior Ministry confirmed Thursday’s bombing occurred at the entrance gate of Marshal Fahim National Defense University in the capital. It gave no further details. No one immediately took responsibility for Thursday’s attack, which comes amid intensified deadly clashes between government forces and Taliban insurgents elsewhere in Afghanistan. A string of bombings in recent weeks in the city have killed dozens of people, including two prominent Islamic scholars. Separately, the Afghan Defense Ministry announced Thursday its forces raided a Taliban-run detention facility in the volatile southern Zabul province and freed 28 prisoners, including 12 security personnel.  

One Dead, Dozens Hurt as Indian Troops Fire During Kashmir Protests

Indian troops fired live rounds during protests at two places in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 50, police and an eyewitness said. A senior police officer told Reuters a civilian, Sajjad Ahmad Parray, died after Indian troops fired ammunition, including live rounds and metal pellets, in Pinjoora, a village in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. "At least 20 including two girls received pellet injuries, some of them in their eyes," added the officer, who asked not to be named. Eyewitness Aijaz Ahmad told Reuters Parray died on the way to hospital after being shot at by troops. The protests came during a gun battle in the village between two militants and Indian troops, the officer said. Muslim-majority Kashmir is the subject of decades of hostility between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over the territory. They came close to a third war earlier this year after a suicide car bomb by a Pakistani militant group killed dozens of Indian police in the region. Many people in Indian-controlled Kashmir resent Indian rule, and often protest in support of separatist militants. The senior officer said that at a second gun battle, also on Wednesday, protesters threw stones at troops to disrupt an operation in Muhammad Pora village in Kulgam district. At least 30 people were hurt, one hit by a bullet and others with pellets. He said that militants trapped at the second site managed to escape from the gun battle. Police and army spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment.

Bangladeshi Police Charge 16 with Burning Death of Teenage Girl

Police in Bangladesh filed charges Wednesday against 16 people in connection with the burning death of a teenage girl who made sexual harassment allegations against her school principal. Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 19, was soaked with kerosene and set ablaze on the rooftop of her Islamic school on April 6, just days after filing her complaint against principal Siraj Ud Doula.  Police said Doula, who was arrested after the complaint was filed, ordered the girl's murder from jail. Police said Rafi was lured to the rooftop where her alleged attackers asked that she withdraw her complaint. After she refused, she was set on fire and died a few days later.  Rafi's death sparked nationwide protests and highlighted a sharp increase in sexual harassment cases in the South Asian country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to prosecute everyone involved.  The alleged attackers intended to make the murder appear as a suicide, but police said she was able to give a statement before she died on April 10. Murder charges were formally filed against the alleged attackers, two of whom were girls in Rafi's class. Prosecutors are calling for the death penalty for all of the suspects. Rafi's brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman, agreed with the prosecutors, telling the French news agency the family wants the attackers prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "We want all the culprits to be hanged to death," he said. The head of the women's human rights group Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Maleka Banu, demanded that more be done to ensure the safety of women in Bangladesh. "Justice has to be ensured," she said, "[but] just ensuring that the Nusrat case is taken care of is not enough. We need to do more to make the situation better for Bangladeshi women." A study conducted by the rights group found that some 950 women were raped in the country last year.

Pro-China Policies Unlikely in Australia, India After Recent Elections

In recent weeks, Australia and India have re-elected incumbent prime ministers. These Asia-Pacific countries, who have a difficult relationship with China, are unlikely to make the kind of policy changes that Beijing has been seeking for a long time, analysts said. Australia this month re-elected Prime Minister Scott Morrison stunning pollsters who had anticipated his defeat for several months. India gave a landslide victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, who campaigned largely on a nationalistic agenda. China wants support from Australia and India on issues like the U.S.-China trade war, the Huawei controversy, South China Sea controversy and the Belt and Road Initiative. The Communist Party in Beijing attaches great importance to obtaining support from democratic countries as a means to enhance China’s global influence. It has spent huge sums to obtain the support of the relatively poor European countries like Greece in order to expand the Chinese footprint. But Australia and India are unlikely to support China on many of the issues that are core to Beijing’s foreign policy. But there may be some exceptions. India has invited Huawei to start trials of its 5G telecommunications network while Australia has blocked it. “Australia was the first country to reject Huawei’s 5G technology and it is very hard to see how it is going to revisit the decision,” said Richard McGroger, senior fellow at Lowy Institute in Sydney. China’s official media expressed dissatisfaction over a statement by Morrison describing China as a customer of Australia and the United States as a friend. He made a clear distinction between the two countries when he said, "China is an incredibly important country for Australia's future. Our relationship with China is of course different to our relationship with the United States," he said during the elections. McGregor said there was no reason to be upset over the remarks. “I think it was not a good choice of words. I am sure the Prime Minister did not intend to send any kind of wrong signal and I doubt very much he will be describing China that way again,” he said. Beijing may have preferred a change of government in Australia which would revisit some of the decisions taken by the coalition under Morrison earlier. But Morrison is back as Prime Minister and he is unlikely to review past decisions. Besides, Australia has its own domestic reasons to support the United States on issues like opposing China’s military build up in the South China Sea. “Of course, Australia is worried about the Chinese bases in the South China Sea, since most Australian trade passes through those waters,” he said. China-India relations In his congratulatory message to India’s re-elected prime minister, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Modi to continue joint efforts with China in “promoting multi-polarization and economic globalization as well as upholding multilateralism.” Analysts see this statement as a sign that Xi wants India to join in a broad coalition against the dominating influence of the United States. Xi’s choice of words is significant because they come ahead of the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kyrgyz Republic capital, Bishkek, on June 13-14. He will meet Modi along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and heads of central Asian countries. China will once again push forward its agenda for opposing U.S. trade policies. As the re-elected government settles down in New Delhi after a stormy election, envoys from India and China are making swift preparations for a series of exchanges between the leaders. A meeting of foreign ministers will happen soon. Modi is inviting Xi to his election constituency and pilgrimage city of Varanasi in northern India for an informal summit in September. The first Mar-a-Lago style informal summit took place with the two leaders meeting each other without aides took place in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year. The idea is for the two leaders to understand each other, see issues from a larger canvass and give “strategic guidance” to their ministers on enhancing India-China relations. The Wuhan summit took place one year after India and China were engaged in a 72-day long border spat at a place called Doklam near the Bhutan border. “There will be some serious effort to improve relationship. I think they will also look at the possibility of finding an early solution to the border dispute between the two countries,” said Phunchok Stobdan, former Indian diplomat and strategic expert. “They might also discuss the Dalai Lama issue,” he said. The Tibetan leader fled China and came to India in 1959. He has since been demanding “greater autonomy” for Tibetan speaking people in China while Chinese leaders describe him as a “separatist and splittist” element who is instigating a section of Tibetans to break up from China. Modi will also be careful about allowing implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative because it can be an emotional issue, more so because the Indian public regards Beijing as Pakistan’s biggest ally and protection. Modi and his party fought the election speaking against what he regards as Pakistan based terrorists causing mayhem in India. An important issue on Xi’s mind is to garner support from different countries against Washington’s aggressive trade actions, which has also affected India and other countries. An important question is whether he will manage to persuade Modi to come out openly against the trade war. “India usually tries to stay middle of the road instead of choosing between the U.S. and China. It is unlikely to come out strongly against U.S. trade actions,” Stobdan said. India cancelled oil shipments from Iran under pressure from Washington, incurring huge losses. But it is likely to go back to the earlier practice of importing Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions, Stobdan said. “India is ready to make exceptions when it comes to its long-term a relationship with Iran and Russia. Everyone’s watching if India would regard its relationship with China at the same level,” he said.

Rights Groups Demand Pakistan Release Journalist

International and domestic watchdogs are denouncing the arrest in Pakistan of a journalist for reporting on demonstrations of activists linked to a local ethnic Pashtun rights movement. Gohar Wazir, who works for private Satellite TV station Khyber News and runs his personal YouTube channel as well, was taken into custody by security forces along with 21 other people earlier this week on charges of disturbing public order. The rest of the detainees are activists of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has cautioned restrictions on local media would only serve to undermine “the strength of Pakistan’s democracy” and demanded the reporter be unconditionally released. “Gohar Wazir should not have to face arrest merely for doing the job of reporting the news, even reporting on controversial events such as protests by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement," said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia program coordinator. Local rights defenders also have called for Wazir’s release. The recently formed Pakhtun Journalists Association has condemned the reporter’s detention as an "attack on journalism.” CPJ noted in its statement that although the killing of journalists has declined in Pakistan in recent years, the rights defender has documented a rising trend of censorship owing to pressure from the military. The arrests stemmed from Sunday’s skirmishes between Pakistani troops and PTM members in the volatile North Waziristan district near the Afghan border, killing several activists and wounding many more. The military’s media wing claimed PTM demonstrators on their way to a rally attacked a security checkpoint. PTM leaders deny the accusations, however, instead claiming troops fired on peaceful protesters who are agitating against alleged military abuses in the district headquarters of Miranshah. It was not possible to independently verify either claims because the area is currently under curfew and journalists are not allowed to freely travel there. Wazir interviewed Mohsin Dawar, a central PTM leader who is also an elected member of Pakistan's national legislature, and released it Monday through his YouTube channel before he was rounded up by security officials from his native northwestern city of Bannu. Dawar was leading Sunday’s rally and managed to escape the arrest but has since spoken to foreign media as well as some local journalists from his hiding place. In his interview, the PTM leader, has called for investigating the deadly incident and also made a controversial demand for Pakistan’s military to withdraw from the Waziristan district. The remote Pakistani region had long been beyond the control of the government and condemned by the United States as the “epicentre” of international terrorism. Under persistent U.S. pressure, Pakistani troops undertook a major ground and air offensive in 2014, dismantling terrorism infrastructure that was blamed for orchestrating deadly attacks inside the country and across the border in Afghanistan. The security operations also rid adjoining areas of militant networks. Pakistani officials say the counter-militancy offensives were conducted to secure the volatile border in support of the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan. Retaliatory militant attacks around the country have killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis, including members of security forces. Pakistani authorities say a military-led construction effort is currently underway to install a robust fence and new outposts on the nearly 2,600 kilometer traditionally porous border to consolidate “hard-earned” security gains and deter illegal movements in either direction. PTM accuses security forces deployed in the boarder region of committing human rights abuses. The movement says it is seeking justice, an end to enforced disappearances, and removal of all checkpoints as well as landmines from the Waziristan territory. For their part, military officials deny allegations of rights abuses as unfounded, and say security posts in the Waziristan region are being gradually reduced to ease hardships facing local population. But the state is determined not to ease military pressure in the rugged mountain border area, warning it would allow fugitive militants sheltering in Afghan border regions to return to their old strongholds.

Rights Group Demands Pakistan Military Vacate Tribal Areas

Activists from a local rights movement are demanding Pakistan's military vacate the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan as calls grow to investigate an incident in which several members of the group died in a skirmish with the military Sunday. Pakistan's military claims the clash started when members of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) attacked its check post on their way to a protest rally over alleged military abuses. PTM leaders deny the accusation, however, instead claiming the military fired on peaceful protesters. Several cellphone videos of the incident circulating on social media seem to show that the protesters were unarmed. VOA could not independently verify any of the videos. Mohsin Dawar, a leader of the movement who is also an elected member of Pakistan's national legislature, is leading a sit-in in Miranshah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan, an area formerly known for being a militant safe haven. Dawar spoke to BBC via satellite phone because cellphone service in the area has been suspended. He said authorities were trying to prevent PTM supporters from elsewhere from reaching the protest site. The activist group, however, plans to continue the sit-in until their demands are met, he added. He told BBC that one of the group's main demands is for the army to vacate the Waziristan area. The military entered the North Waziristan area in 2014 as part of an operation to clear out militant safe havens, and said it is trying to solidify hard-earned gains against terrorism. Various human rights groups, however, are demanding an independent inquiry into Sunday's incident. "If the reports are correct that the army killed protestors by unlawfully using live ammunition, this would be a very serious violation of international law," Rabia Mehmood, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement. The region is under curfew, with access to the area severely restricted, making it difficult for international media or other monitoring groups to assess the situation. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body, has expressed "alarm" at the military's alleged use of force, stating this might drive a permanent wedge between the state and the people of the area. "There must be a serious attempt to genuinely address the grievances of the local population, which the PTM has been articulating peacefully for well over a year," an HRCP statement said. Pakistan Bar Council, a body representing lawyers qualified to appear in the Supreme Court, in a statement expressed "great concern" over the PTM incident and urged the government to "take all the stakeholders on board immediately." While the ruling political party Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) is supporting the military's version of events, many of the country's opposition parties are backing PTM and demanding a probe into the incident. Several political leaders have urged the government to enter into a political dialogue with PTM rather than dealing with this issue with force. PTM, a self-declared nonviolent movement, gained popularity last year after running a campaign to bring to justice a police officer accused of extrajudicially killing a Pashtun man. It also has become a strong critic of Pakistan's military and has openly accused the institution of human rights violations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas during counterterrorism operations. The FATA area for years had been the center of conflict between the security forces and Taliban militants. The military has in turn accused PTM of receiving funding from hostile intelligence agencies of India and Afghanistan and promoting an anti-Pakistan agenda, a charge PTM denies. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said last month that PTM's grievances were justified, but the manner in which they incited the population against the military was not good for the country.

Report: Lives Improved for Children Worldwide

VOA's Carol Van Dam Falk contributed to this report. At a time when bad news seems inescapable, the aid group Save the Children has some good news: Across the globe, children are healthier and safer than ever before. According to a new report by the U.S.-based charity, the overall situation for children has improved in 173 of 176 countries since 2000. Among the highlights are 4.4 million fewer child deaths per year, 115 million more children in school and 11 million fewer married girls.  "We found that there stands some remarkable progress in helping children to grow up healthy, educated and safe," said Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children. "And I think the headline from the report is that an estimated 280 million children worldwide are significantly better off today than they were in the year 2000." In order to quantify the protection of children, the group used an "End of Childhood Index" to rank countries on a scale of 1 to 1,000. The scores take into account "childhood enders" including death, severe malnutrition, child marriage, labor and early motherhood.  In Africa, the group found reason for optimism. More than 70 percent of African countries saw their scores increase by 100 points or more. The countries making the greatest gains were Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Niger.  "In most of these cases, you can get strong political commitment from the very top," said Nikki Gillette, the report's researcher. Each of the African countries highlighted had specific drivers improving the quality of life for children. In Sierra Leone, the end of a protracted civil war led to a 99 percent reduction in displaced people. In Rwanda, a return to peace and several government initiatives led to a 79 percent drop in child mortality and a 60 percent reduction in child marriage and "out of school" rates.  In Ethiopia, a commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals has led to improved health of mothers and children. Miles said 20 years ago in Ethiopia, Save the Children was primarily focused on saving lives of young children. Now, those problems are not as severe and the group can focus on other indicators.  "The [Ethiopian] government has taken up a lot of that community health work and the child mortality rate has dropped by 54 percent," Miles said. "So the work that Save the Children is doing there now is more focused on making sure that kids get basic literacy and have all the skills they need in school and also training youth." Some scores drop But the news wasn't good everywhere. The three countries that saw a drop in their scores between 2000 and 2019 were Syria, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. Syria has been in civil war for nine years, Venezuela has undergone a political crisis leading to widespread food shortages and, in Trinidad, increased malnutrition led to higher levels of stunting among children.  Tthe report noted a steep rise in the number of children living in conflict zones. Since 2000, there has been an 80 percent rise in the number of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, totaling about 30.5 million more people.  "That's where we see really the indicators not going in the right direction," Miles said. In fact, said Miles, the five countries recording the worst mortality rate for children under the age of five — the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Sierra Leone and Somalia — are all either at war or have recently come out of war.  "We released a report earlier this year that estimated that 120 million children were living in areas affected by conflict at the end of 2017," Miles said. "And the impact on kids is more than just the impact from bombs and bullets."

Taliban, Russia Demand Foreign Troops Leave Afghanistan

The Taliban and Russia have jointly called for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition troops from Afghanistan, with a top leader of the Islamist insurgent group denouncing the foreign presence in the country as a major obstacle to Afghan peace.   Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the political deputy of the Taliban, made the remarks in Moscow to a gathering of Russian and Afghan government personnel, as well as representatives from prominent political groups from the war-torn country. Russia organized the meeting to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. “The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] is truly committed to peace but the first step is to remove obstacles in the way of peace, meaning the occupation of Afghanistan must come to an end,” Baradar said in rare public appearance and speech. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his welcome address to the group urged that foreign forces leave Afghanistan. He underscored the importance of bilateral relations, saying Russia is ready to offer more help to Afghanistan to fight terrorist groups led by Islamic State and drug-trafficking networks. “This conflict in Afghanistan has no military solution and the only way to settle this issue is to rely on diplomacy and politics. We believe all foreign military [forces] should be withdrawn from the country and the society of Afghanistan should unite in finding a solution,” the Russian foreign minister stressed.   “We believe that Afghanistan should stay united where all the ethnic groups can live peacefully. We hope that peace will settle in Afghanistan as soon as possible,” Lavrov added, saying that accelerated Afghan peace-building efforts recently initiated by Moscow are furthering the peace process. Top Afghan candidates challenging President Ashraf Ghani in the upcoming presidential elections, former president, Hamid Karzai, and Afghan diplomats in Moscow, as well as the head of the official Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) tasked with promoting peace, were in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting and delivered their own speeches. In his address, the HPC chief, Karim Khalili, emphasized the need for agreeing to “a dignified and just mechanism” for ending years of bloodshed in Afghanistan.   Mullah Baradar Mullah Baradar, who is heading a 14-member Taliban delegation, was the center of attention during Tuesday’s meeting in Moscow. He is known as a co-founder of the Islamist Taliban and is believed to have played a central role in organizing insurgent activities after the U.S.-led military invasion of Afghanistan 17-years ago. Baradar was traveling through Pakistan in 2010 when American security operatives, together with local counterparts, arrested him in Karachi. The insurgent commander was then placed in Pakistani custody until late last year. At that point, Washington requested that Islamabad free Baradar to push a nascent process of negotiations that U.S. diplomats initiated with the Taliban late last fall to seek an end to the Afghan war. Intra-Afghan conference Taliban and Afghan delegates also are scheduled to hold an intra-Afghan meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to promote peace in their country. The bilateral talks would mark the second time Taliban officials have met with Afghan opposition politicians in Russia. The first such interaction took place in February, but no government representatives were present because of objections by the insurgents. It was not immediately known whether Khalili and other members of the HPC will be part of Wednesday’s intra-Afghan discussions because the Taliban refuse to engage in any peace talks with anyone associated with the U.S.-backed Kabul government. “The delegation of Islamic Emirate [Taliban] will also hold closed-door meetings with senior officials of the Russian Federation,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. US-Taliban talks The meetings in Moscow come as months of direct peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban appear to have slowed down, if not deadlocked, over the insurgents’ refusal to cease hostilities until all U.S.-led international forces withdraw from Afghanistan. Washington has linked its troop withdrawal move to counterterrorism assurances by the Taliban, a comprehensive cease-fire and the insurgent group’s participation in a peace dialogue with the Afghan government and other groups to end years of hostilities. The U.S.-led military invasion ousted the Taliban from power in late 2001 for sheltering al-Qaida leaders blamed for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on American cites. The Islamist group rejected the charges and has since retaken control or influences nearly half of the country, inflicting heavy casualties on American-backed and trained embattled Afghan security forces.

Pakistan Trying to Grapple With Its Biggest HIV Outbreak

A joint rapid response team of experts from the United States and the U.N. World Health Organization arrived in Pakistan Tuesday to support the response to the country’s “biggest” outbreak of HIV infections in a southern district where more than 700 people, mostly children, have been diagnosed over the past month. Nearly 22,000 individuals have been subjected to blood screening since the outbreak was first reported in Larkana on April 25. The district, with an estimated population of 1.5 million, is located in Sindh province and it has previously also experienced repeated, though limited, outbreaks of the virus, which causes AIDS. The major testing program is ongoing and local officials say hundreds of people line up everyday outside screening camps to get tested voluntarily after watching news on television about the HIV epidemic in their area. “More than 80% of those infected are children less than 15 years old,” said Dr. Maria Elena G. Filio-Borromeo, UNAIDS’ country director for Pakistan and Afghanistan. She spoke to VOA from the Pakistani province where her agency is leading the coordination and facilitation of support from U.N. agencies to help local partners effectively respond to the crisis. Borromeo noted that more than half the children affected are under the age of 5. “This poses a particular challenge. It is likely that they got the virus through unclean needles and syringes, or through unsafe blood transfusion,” she said. The UNAIDS country chief would not, however, speculate on exactly what might have caused the HIV outbreak. “It is a very different profile of outbreak, so a thorough investigation is needed,” Borromeo emphasized. She said that the 11-member visiting team of experts from WHO and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) landed in the provincial capital of Karachi. Borromeo added the team is visiting the country at the request of the Pakistani government and they would work closely with local partners to carry out the investigation for up to three weeks to ascertain the source of the outbreak and controlling it. After the outbreak investigation, she stressed, a "huge amount" of work is expected ensuring that the root cause of the outbreak will be addressed, and future outbreaks will be prevented. “In most cases, parents of the infected children have been tested negative for HIV, which is a rare and extremely worrisome finding,” according to Zafar Mirza, who is the advisor on health to the federal government. Mirza said that used syringes being repackaged and sold in Pakistan, contaminated blood transfusion as well as a “faulty” infection prevention and control system in hospitals could be the factors behind the outbreak in Larkana. “Either unsafe injections are spreading the virus in children or there is another reason that we have been unable to determine so far,” the Pakistani advisor explained. He said he was hopeful the international rapid response team would be able to ascertain the reasons, noting the ongoing efforts to control and investigate the underlying causes of the HIV outbreak in Larkana were not sufficient. Critics say the outbreak demonstrated "public health failure” particularly in Sindh, though the health sector elsewhere in Pakistan also faces critical challenges stemming from a lack of funding and priority. Pakistani and U.N. officials do not rule out the possibility that the HIV outbreak is the outcome of shady medical practices in private as well as public hospitals. Out of an estimated 600,000 unqualified doctors unlawfully practicing in Pakistan, 270,000 of them are working in Sindh, according to UNAIDS. Mirza cautioned that reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan are far less than the actual magnitude of the problem. He says that official estimates put the number of HIV/AIDS carriers in the country at around 163,000. “But only 25,000 of them are registered with our national and provincial HIV/AIDS treatment centers, and out of them, merely 16,000 visit the programs routinely to receive their medicine,” the advisor noted.  

UNICEF: 'Education Under Fire' as Attacks on Afghan Schools Jump

Attacks on schools in Afghanistan increased almost threefold last year, making it increasingly difficult to ensure an education for children in many parts of the country, the United Nations children's fund UNICEF said on Tuesday. The agency, which promotes education and children's rights, said the number of attacks against Afghan schools jumped from 68 in 2017 to 192 last year. It was the first time since 2015 that a rise in attacks had been recorded. "Education is under fire in Afghanistan," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "The senseless attacks on schools; the killing, injury and abduction of teachers; and the threats against education are destroying the hopes and dreams of an entire generation of children." More than 1,000 schools across the country remain closed because of security threats from groups such as the Taliban and Islamic State, which have sought soft targets for attacks aimed at extending and consolidating their influence through intimidation. Although the Taliban have shifted from their previous opposition to all forms of girls' education, they have faced regular accusations of shutting down schools run in a way they do not approve. UNICEF said the use of school buildings as voter centers during last year's parliamentary election may have been a factor behind the rise in attacks. Afghanistan has a young and fast-growing population but about 3.7 million children, or nearly half of all school-age children, are not in formal education, UNICEF said.

US Climber Dies on Everest; 2019 Toll Up to 11

An American died Monday while climbing down from the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the 11th person to die on the world's tallest mountain in the last 10 days.    Christopher Kulish, a lawyer from Colorado, was the second American among the 11 to die after reaching the peak. The cause of his death was unclear.    Last week, Don Cash of Utah died of probable altitude sickness on the way down from the summit.     Most of the deaths on Everest this climbing season have been attributed to exhaustion, exacerbated by the large number of climbers attempting the trek, causing long lines and hours-long delays.     Adverse weather has also shortened the climbing window in an already short season.     Besides the Americans, victims have been from Britain, Ireland, Nepal, India and Austria.     Dandu Raj Ghimire, head of Nepal's tourism authority, said 381 people had ascended Everest this spring. But as periods of good weather have been short, the number of people on the routes has been "higher than expected," Ghimire said. 

Russia Set to Host Taliban, Afghan Politicians

Prominent opposition politicians from Afghanistan and representatives of the Taliban insurgency will meet in Russia on Wednesday for discussions on promoting a negotiated settlement to the Afghan war that continues to cause dozens of casualties every day. The intra-Afghan conference comes as months of direct peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban appear to have slowed down, if not deadlocked, over insurgents’ refusal to cease hostilities until all U.S.-led international forces withdraw from Afghanistan. Washington has linked its troop withdrawal move to counterterrorism assurances by the Taliban, a comprehensive cease-fire and the insurgent group’s participation in a peace dialogue with the Afghan government and other groups to end years of hostilities. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that prior to Wednesday’s peace-related talks, Taliban and Afghan delegates are scheduled to attend a meeting on Tuesday, marking the 100th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Moscow and Kabul. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will deliver the welcome address, it said. That special gathering will be attended, among others, by former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and Mohammad Karim Khalili, the head of Afghanistan’s official High Peace Council (HPC), which is tasked with promoting reconciliation with armed opposition groups. Afghan diplomats in Moscow will also be in attendance. A Taliban spokesman announced Monday the head of its Qatar-based “political office,” Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will lead the 14-member team of senior insurgent officials at this week's meetings in Moscow.   “The delegation of Islamic Emirate (Taliban) will also hold closed-door meetings with senior officials of the Russian Federation,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, without giving further details. It was not immediately known whether Khalili and other members of the HPC will be part of Wednesday’s intra-Afghan discussions because the Taliban refuse to engage in any peace talks with anyone associated to the U.S.-backed Kabul government. The intra-Afghan talks would mark the second time Taliban officials have met with Afghan opposition politicians in Russia. The first such interaction took place in February, but no government representatives were present because of objections by the insurgents Russia has stepped up its diplomatic involvement in pushing a peaceful settlement to the Afghan war, using its growing influence and contacts with the Taliban. Russia, the U.S. and China announced at a meeting last month that the three countries had reached a consensus on a framework for a peace deal the U.S. is negotiating with the Taliban. They did not elaborate.  

Does India’s Congress Party Have a Future in Face of Modi Onslaught

It was India’s “Grand Old Party.” The Congress Party ruled the country for 55 out of 71 years since independence. But following the party’s crushing electoral debacle for a second time, there are questions about its future as the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty at its helm is unable to counter the most powerful leader India has produced in decades: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Contrary to expectations, India’s mammoth general election turned out to be virtually a no-contest between Modi and Congress Party president Rahul Gandhi as it became a presidential-style battle.   “It is not what went wrong with the Congress, it is more of a story of what went right for Prime Minister Modi. He stood as a tall leader, as an achiever, as somebody who understood people’s aspirations,” says political commentator Rasheed Kidwai, who has authored a biography of Rahul Gandhi’s mother, Sonia Gandhi. On the other hand, “Rahul Gandhi is temperamentally not a power wielder. He is a trustee of power.”   The sixth member of the Nehru Gandhi family to lead the party, Rahul is often seen as a “reluctant politician”, despite his spirited campaign to revive the party and challenge Modi after its rout in 2014.   Gandhi’s rallies drew crowds, but his efforts to project Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party as a threat to India’s secular traditions or to highlight issues of economic distress failed to resonate. His attempts to nail him for corruption in a deal to buy Rafale French fighter jets fell flat. His promise of a minimum wage for India’s poorest families was met with skepticism, even among the poor.   On the other hand, Modi, successfully wooed voters with his message of strident nationalism and subtle appeal to the majority Hindu community. Along with it, there was another theme: he projected himself as the humble son of a tea seller, a self made man who fought all odds to reach the top post in contrast to what he called the “entitled” Gandhi who had inherited the mantle of leadership of the Congress Party.   It drew cheers from the country’s emerging middle and lower-middle classes, exhausted with dynastic politics.   The Congress Party’s tally of 52 seats in parliament was only a notch higher than the 44 seats it won in 2014 in the 545-member parliament. The party’s candidates returned empty-handed in half the Indian states and in several others the party only mustered a single digit tally.Modi's BJP won 303 seats.   The scale of its losses not just crushed hopes the Congress Party would either lead a credible challenge to Modi or return as invigorated opposition - it once again raised questions over the leadership of the Gandhi family.   Rahul Gandhi has offered to resign, but expectedly the party that has no second rung of leadership has turned it down. “The party will fulfill its role as a strong opposition. We need Rahul Gandhi to lead us in these challenging times,” Congress Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala said after a meeting of the party’s senior leaders on the weekend. Rahul Gandhi also lost the Amethi constituency the party had held for 50 years in Uttar Pradesh state. In another humiliating blow for the Gandhi family, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was appointed in a senior post to revive the party, failed to make an impact. Rahul's mother, Sonia Gandhi, won her party's only seat in the state. Rahul Gandhi’s victory in another constituency in South India means he will continue to be a lawmaker.   Dynastic politics is not limited to the Congress Party: lawmakers from political families are a routine feature of Indian politics.   But political commentators say in an era showing a preference for strong, populist leaders, Modi was the clear victor.   “There is a new sense of nationalism sweeping across many conventional democracies. There is a yearning for a strong leader that captures the public imagination,” according to political analyst Ajoy Bose. “I don’t really see the conventional Congress Party or the conventional leadership mounting a challenge to Modi. He has completely taken the country by storm.”   Gandhi tried to give a positive message after the party’s rout. “We have a different vision of India [from Modi]”, said the head of the party that has long projected itself as a defender of India’s minorities, such as Muslims who worry about religious polarization and a rise in hate crimes since Modi came to power. "There is no need to be afraid. We will continue to work hard and we will eventually win."   But it may be difficult to reinvent what analysts call a “fading party.” They say Modi’s BJP now occupies the dominant political space that the Congress party did for decades. “Congress is going to get reduced to, you know, like the Liberals did in Britain,” says Rasheed Kidwai.