VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - 23 Jan 2018

PAKISTAN

Bizenjo says govt ready to hold talks with Baloch dissidents: Dawn
23 Jan, 2018

While giving another chance of negotiation to the self-exiled Baloch leaders, Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has said that his government is ready to hold talks with Khan of Kalat Agha Suleman Dawood Ahmedzai and other people for the betterment of the province. “Khan of Kalat is respectable for all of us and the [Baloch] people living abroad are sons of the soil,” he said, adding that a committee comprising senior leaders of Balochistan could be constituted for the talks. The fresh offer was made in the presence of former chief minister of Balochistan Sardar Mohammad Saleh Bhootani, provincial ministers, tribal elders and journalists at the residence of Mr Bhootani where a dinner had been hosted in the honor of the newly elected chief minister. Click here to read... [2]

Afghanistan’s transit trade through Pakistan picks up: Express Tribune
23 Jan, 2018

Afghanistan’s transit trade through Pakistan has reached a value of $1.4 billion in the first six months of the ongoing financial year, indicating that the volume can increase to around $3 billion by the end of 2017-18. In 2012-13, transit trade had slumped to $1.46 billion from $3.12 billion in 2010-11. However, numbers show that the volume has hovered around the $3-billion mark for the past few years. The highest figure in recent years has been $3.46 billion in 2015-16, while in the last fiscal year it was $2.87 billion. Click here to read... [3]

AFGHANISTAN

After Kabul attack, US airstrikes kill 63 Taliban in Paktika: Pajhwok
23 Jan, 2018

Hours after a deadly Taliban attack on a luxurious hotel in Kabul came to an end, US airstrikes killed dozens of insurgents in two districts of southeastern Paktika province, police said on Monday. The attack on the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel began on Saturday evening and stretched into Sunday noon, leaving at least 20 dead, including 13 foreigners, with several others injured, raising questions about the attackers’ ability to penetrate a highly fortified state-run hotel. Hours later on Sunday night, the US forces blitzed Taliban hideouts in Paktika’s Barmal and Neka districts, killing 63 militants and destroying their weapons and structures, said provincial police chief Col. Mohammad Azeem Hashmi. Click here to read... [4]

NEPAL

Left alliance NA picks in last lap: Kathmandu Post
23 Jan, 2018

Preparations for nomination have reached the final stage in the left alliance, according to an arrangement between the two parties to field 43 common candidates among the 56 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly election. The Election Commission has scheduled nomination of candidates for the Upper House on Wednesday. The CPN (Maoist Centre) has recommended Ram Bahadur Thapa for a seat from Province 3. The task force of the alliance led by Subas Nembang has decided to field 29 candidates from the UML and 14 from the Maoist Centre for the NA elections. The decision has been endorsed by both the parties. Top three leaders of the Maoist Centre—Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Thapa—have met all the seven leaders in charge of the party’s provincial committees, discussing the names of candidates for the clusters given to the party. Click here to read... [5]

RJPN, FSFN open to poll alliance with left: My Republica
23 Jan, 2018

The Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) have intensified negotiations with the Nepali Congress and the left alliance to explore the possibility of forging an alliance for the National Assembly (NA) elections. The NA polls, scheduled for February 7, will elect 59 members through a direct vote cast by a 2056-member electoral college consisting of the newly-elected members of provincial assemblies and chiefs and deputy chiefs of the 753 local units. Leaders of the Madhes-centric parties said they are in talks with the leaders of both NC and left alliance. They added that an alliance will be forged with one of the two sides depending on which one offers them the best deal. Click here to read... [6]

SRILANKA

Don't sign FTA with S'pore: Professionals tell Govt: Daily mirror
23 Jan, 2018

Ahead of the government’s move to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore, a collective of professional movements said yesterday there were serious violations of the law, best practices and good governance in the negotiation process of the agreement. Issuing a communique, they said they took steps to inform all the Cabinet Ministers including President Maithripala Sirisena urging them not to grant Cabinet approval to go ahead with the agreement. Click here to read... [7]

BANGLADESH

Start of Rohingya repatriation delayed, BD official: Daily Observer
22 Jan, 2018

Bangladesh has delayed the repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar, set to start on Tuesday, because the process of compiling and verifying the list of people to be sent back is incomplete, a senior Bangladesh official said. The decision comes as tensions have risen in camps holding hundreds of thousands of refugees, some of whom are opposing their transfer back to Myanmar because of lack of security guarantees. Myanmar agreed earlier this month to receive the Rohingya refugees at two reception centres and a temporary camp near its border with Bangladesh over a two-year period starting Tuesday. The authorities have said repatriations would be voluntary. But Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, said on Monday the return would have to be delayed. He did not immediately give a new date for the repatriations to begin. Click here to read... [8]

MYANMAR

Russia to sell six fighter jets to Myanmar: Mmtimes
23 Jan, 2018

Russia will sell six Su-30 fighter jets to Myanmar, Russian Deputy Defence minister Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin said on Monday, The deal was reached during the visit of the Russian Minister of Defence General of the Army Sergei Shoigu to Myanmar at the weekend, according the Facebook page of the Russia’s Defence Ministry.The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seater “super manoeuvrable” fighter jet manufactured by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multi-role fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions, suitable for Myanmar’s counter-insurgency operations. Click here to read... [9]

MALDIVES

Opposition writes to Modi about Maldives political situation: Haveeru
22 Jan, 2018

The opposition parties on Sunday handed over a letter to the Indian High Commission in the capital Male, to be delivered to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter was delivered to the Indian High Commission by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s secretary-general Anas Abdul-Sattar and Jumhoory Party (JP)’s secretary-general Ahmed Sameer. According to a source from the opposition coalition, the letter is an appeal on behalf of four leaders of the coalition who are all currently in exile or in prison. It also details the current political situation of the Maldives, the challenges faced by the opposition leaders and the numerous unconstitutional acts being carried out by the ruling government. While the opposition leaders pleaded to the Prime Minister of Maldives’ oldest ally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamed Asim had met with Modi in India on January 11. Click here to read... [10]