VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - 22 Jan 2018

PAKISTAN

Ex-envoy booked over hate speeches: Dawn
22 Jan, 2018

Former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani was nominated in FIRs lodged by three people in two police stations of Kohat on Sunday for delivering hate speeches and writing books and articles against armed forces and the sovereignty of Pakistan. The three FIRs were registered in Cantonment and Bilitang police stations by Momin, Muhammad Asghar and Shamsul Haq. The Bilitang police said that Mr Asghar stated in the FIR that Mr Haqqani was a “mentor of the Memogate scandal” and had issued visas to CIA and Indian agents while serving as Pakistani ambassador to the US. Mr Asghar further alleged that Mr Haqqani maligned Pakistan in the books he wrote which proved that he was a traitor. The sections of the Pakistan Penal Code applied by police in the FIRs are 120B (hatching a criminal conspiracy) and 121A (waging a war against Pakistan). Click here to read... [2]

PPP unlikely to retain its strength in Senate after election: Dawn
22 Jan, 2018

The Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) will be fighting a battle for survival in the coming Senate elections as the party is on the brink of extinction in the House of Federation as all its four senators are set to retire on March 11. Given the party position in all the four provincial legislatures and the National Assembly, it is unlikely that the PML-Q would win any seat in the Senate. However, political experts believe that with the recent political developments in Balochistan and after the election of PML-Q’s man as the provincial chief minister despite having a mere four members, the chances of the party’s getting one or two seats from the province cannot be ruled out. The term-wise data of the senators shows that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will be the biggest loser in terms of representation in the Senate as almost 70 per cent of its members — the largest number belonging to a single party — are set to retire this March after completion of their six-year term. Click here to read... [3]

AFGHANISTAN

Heavy clashes continue between Taliban and ISIS in North of Afghanistan: Khaama Press
21 Jan, 2018

Heavy clashes continue between the Taliban insurgents and militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Jawzjan province in North of Afghanistan. The local officials are saying that the clashes started three days back and as a result both sides have suffered casualties. Provincial governor’s spokesman Mohammad Reza Ghafoori confirmed that a group of Taliban insurgents on Saturday launched a coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in Qosh Tapa district. He said at least ten ISIS militants were killed during the clashes and another militant was arrested alive by the Taliban insurgents. According to Ghafoori, the Taliban militants launched the attack to avenge the killing of their comrades by ISIS insurgents. Click here to read... [4]

NEPAL

Left merger talks hit roadblock: My Republica
22 Jan, 2018

The unification talks between CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) have hit a roadblock with a section of UML leaders objecting to Maoist's proposal to rotate the party leadership. A high-level meeting of the two parties held at UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli's residence in Balkot ended without entering into the agenda of party unification citing lack of homework. Leaders said differences over the leadership of the new party were the main reason behind the delays in finalizing the unification talks. Maoist Center has said that chairmen of the two parties should alternately lead the party and the government drawing rebuff from several UML leaders eyeing the helm of the new party. While UML's rank and file appear positive to rotate the government, they have said that party Chair KP Sharma Oli should remain in control of the party. Click here to read... [5]

RJP-N weighing options for ‘long-term’ alliance: Kathmandu Post
22 Jan, 2018

The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal has started discussions with both ‘democratic’ and left forces for a possible ‘long-term’ alliance. The party has started discussions with different parties with an aim to forge a long term alliance beyond the existing ally Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, with whom the party had forged an electoral alliance in the recent elections. “We are in discussions with both democratic and left forces. The party will soon make a decision with whom to forge a long-term alliance,” said Rajendra Mahato—a leader of the presidium. On Saturday, the task forces of the threes parties—Nepali Congress, SSF-N and RJP-N—had held discussions on forging an alliance for the upcoming National Assembly election. Click here to read... [6]

SRILANKA

Country’s economy no longer under UNP: President
22 Jan, 2018

The country’s economy would be managed by a the Economic Development Council headed by President Maithripala Sirisena from this year onwards, President Sirisena said addressing an election rally in Kegalle yesterday. The President said that he had set up an Economic Development Council headed by him to manage the country's economy and he would look to bring down the cost of living and also protect local investors. "During the past three years, I allowed the UNP to manage the economy. Still people are faced with economic hardships. From this year, I will take the economic management under me to grant people relief," he said. Click here to read... [7]

BANGLADESH

CHT people to enjoy land ownership: The Daily Star
22 Jan, 2018

Urging the Chittagong Hill Tracts people to maintain peace and discipline, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday assured that they would enjoy the ownership of their land. "Development is not possible without maintaining peaceful atmosphere ... so, keeping this in mind, I call upon all to work together to this end," she said. The PM said the ownership of the land in the CHT would not be determined by the British-era laws; rather the people of the area would enjoy the ownership of the land as the people of other regions in the country did. “We want to establish such a system so that the (Chittagong) Hill Tracts region people can enjoy the ownership of their land ... we want to ensure it," she said. Click here to read... [8]

Tensions mount in Rohingya camps ahead of planned relocation to Myanmar: Reuters
21 Jan, 2018

Tensions mounted on Sunday at refugee camps in Bangladesh holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over an operation to send them back to Myanmar, from where they have fled following a military crackdown. Dozens of refugees stood holding cloth banners opposing their transfer as United Nations a Reuters reporter visited camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border over the weekend. Some refugee leaders said Bangladesh military officials had threatened to seize their food ration cards if they did not return. Under an agreement signed last week, Myanmar is set to receive Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centers and a temporary camp near their common border starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years. Click here to read... [9]