VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 11th March, 2019

PAKISTAN

Civil courts for erstwhile Fata become functional: Dawn
March 11, 2019

Civil courts in the erstwhile Federally Administrated Tribal Agencies (Fata) formally started functioning on Monday. Tens of thousands of civil and criminal cases — earlier pending before the political administration — have been shifted to the newly installed civil courts. In all, 28 judicial officers — seven district and sessions judges, seven senior civil judges and 14 additional sessions and districts judges — have been posted to seven merged tribal districts as members of district judiciary. Public prosecutors have also been appointed on immediate basis. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Peace Is Possible in Afghanistan: German FM: Tolo News
March 11, 2019

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, arrived in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Balkh province on Sunday, to send a message confirming Germany’s commitment to conflict resolution and economic development in Afghanistan, the DW said in a report on Monday. Germany is part of the NATO’s Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces and has around 1,200 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, mostly in Balkh province. “With the trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, we want to send a clear message: Germany is committed to the responsibility which we have assumed as the second largest donor and contributor of troops in Afghanistan,” said Maas as quoted by the DW. Click here to read.... [3]

NEPAL

Government scrambles to explain what ‘jana abhimat’ means—and what it does not—in deal with CK Raut: Kathmandu Post

Two days after an 11-point agreement was signed between the government and CK Raut, a long-time ‘Free Madhes’ campaigner, the government was scrambling to explain the meaning of “jana abhimat”, a phrase in the second point of the agreement. At a Parliament meeting on Sunday, lawmakers, including those from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, asked Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to clarify whether the government had agreed to hold a referendum on the fate of the Madhes, given the use of the phrase “jana abhimat” in the agreement. Click here to read.... [4]

CHINA

Op-ed: Reform helps China renew economic miracle: People's Daily
March 11, 2019

The economic growth target set by China, its declaration to further relax controls over market access, and a series of new moves to deepen reforms have made headlines of foreign media after the government work report was delivered to the annual legislative session on March 5. Click here to read.... [5]

Son of former Chinese president Hu Jintao parachuted into top job in scandal-hit Xian: South China Morning Post
March 11, 2019

The only son of former president Hu Jintao is tipped to become the new Communist Party chief of Xian, China’s ancient capital and the biggest city in the country’s northwest, according to three sources. Click here to read.... [6]