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03/26/2024

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08/05/2023

The Court Sentenced Imran Khan - Three Years in Prison and Imposed a Fine of Rs100,000 on him for Concealing Details of Toshakhana gifts.
[Dawn,P,5/08/23]
Ashraf Nayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

PTI Chairman & Ex-PM Imran Khan, shortly after an Islamabad, Pakistan trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case, was arrested by Punjab police on Saturday afternoon from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The court sentenced Imran — who was absent from court — to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on him for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts. His lawyers were also not present. Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar ruled that charges against the former prime minister in the case were proven.“Imran Khan deliberately submitted fake details [of Toshakhana gifts] to the ECP and is found guilty of corrupt practices,” he stated and sent the PTI chief to jail for three years under Section 174 of the Election Act.The law states that a person guilty of the offence of corrupt practice shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine which may extend to Rs100,000 or both.ADSJ Dilawar also directed that a copy of the order should be sent to the Islamabad police chief for the ex*****on of the court orders.During the hearing — which commenced at 8:30am — the judge repeatedly expressed displeasure over the absence of Imran’s lawyers. He, however, gave multiple chances to the defence counsel to appear in court.Finally, at 12:30pm, ASDJ Dilawar announced the verdict. Roughly 29 minutes later, reports of Imran’s arrest surfaced.The PTI chairman’s arrest today comes approximately three months after his first arrest on May 9 when he was detained in Islamabad from the high court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Unlike previous instances, where Zaman Park was usually guarded by PTI supporters, Imran was detained today without any major resistance.

01/27/2023

India-Pakistan Legal Battle Over Water-Sharing Begins in The Hague
[AA/Bloomberg/DS/B]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

A legal battle between India and Pakistan over water-sharing began in The Hague on Friday, with New Delhi seeking "modification" to the 1960-signed Indus Waters Treaty and Islamabad accusing his South Asian rival of violating the pack in the design of new dams that will dry up its irrigation land.
India has issued a notice to Pakistan for "modification" of the Indus Waters Treaty of September 1960, a senior Indian official in New Delhi said on Friday. The treaty was signed in 1960 that governs the use of waters of the Indus system of rivers. Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser at India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry, said the notice was conveyed on Wednesday through the respective offices of the Commissioner for Indus Waters.
"This is as per Article XII (3) of IWT," he wrote in a series of tweets. Gupta said that while India has been a "steadfast supporter and a responsible partner in implementing IWT in letter and spirit, Pakistan’s actions have adversely impinged on the provisions of IWT and their implementation, and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT." According to Gupta, the modification for which India has given notice to Pakistan will also "update Indus Water Treaty to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years."
In response to Pakistan's "continuing insistence," he added, the World Bank has recently initiated actions on "both the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes." "Such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of Indus Water Treaty," he said. "Faced with such violation of Indus Water Treaty provisions, India has been compelled to issue notice of modification," he said, adding that the objective is to provide Pakistan an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT.
He claimed that despite India’s repeated efforts to find a mutually agreeable way forward, "Pakistan refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022."

12/31/2022

Palestinians Welcome U.N. vote on Israel's Occupation as 'a Victory'
[ Reu.]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

The Palestinians on Saturday welcomed a vote by the United Nations General Assembly requesting that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) provide an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. The Hague-based ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the top U.N. court dealing with disputes between states. Its rulings are binding, though the ICJ has no power to enforce them. The vote on Friday nonetheless presents a challenge for Israel's incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took office on Thursday at the head of a hard-right government that includes parties who advocate for occupied West Bank lands to be annexed. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. Peace talks broke down in 2014. "The time has come for Israel to be a state subject to law, and to be held accountable for its ongoing crimes against our people," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said.

12/30/2022

Aung San Suu Kyi's Myanmar Trials End with 7 more Years in Jail
[ Reu.]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted of five counts of corruption on Friday and jailed for 7 more years, an informed source said, wrapping up a marathon of trials condemned internationally as a sham.
In a closed-door court session in army-ruled Myanmar, Suu Kyi, 77, who was arrested during a coup in February 2021, was found guilty of offences relating to her lease and use of a helicopter while she was the country's de facto leader, said the source, who has knowledge of her trials. The jail term adds to 26 years of prison time already handed down to Suu Kyi, for offences ranging from incitement, breaches of COVID-19 restrictions and illegally owning radio equipment, to violating a state secrets law, multiple counts of corruption and trying to influence election officials. She has dismissed those as "absurd". The source, who asked not to be identified due to the junta's sensitivity about the trials, said Suu Kyi "is in good health".

12/30/2022

Pele Immortal, Forever with Us: FIFA
[AFP]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

FIFA said Pele was simply “immortal” after the Brazil legend, named by world football’s governing body as the greatest player of the 20th century, died on Thursday aged 82. “For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pele,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“Today, we all mourn the loss of the physical presence of our dear Pele, but he achieved immortality a long time ago and therefore he will be with us for eternity.” Pele is the only footballer to have won three FIFA World Cups. He was just 17 when he won with Brazil in Sweden in 1958. Pele won the World Cup again in Chile in 1962, despite being forced out of much of the tournament due to injury. He lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy for the third and final time in Mexico in 1970. “Pele: immortal -- forever with us,” FIFA said on its website.
Infantino said Pele was unique, as he sent his condolences to his family, Brazil and all football fans.
“His skill and imagination were incomparable. Pele did things that no other player would even dream of,” Infantino said. “Most importantly, ‘The King’ rose the throne with a smile on his face. Football could be brutal in those days, and Pele was often on the receiving end of some rough treatment. “But, while he knew how to stand up for himself, he was always an exemplary sportsman, with genuine respect for his opponents.”
nfantino added, “Pele had a magnetic presence and, when you were with him, the rest of the world stopped. His life is about more than football. He changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, in South America and across the world.” FIFA noted that he was the youngest-ever world champion – not to mention the youngest scorer, youngest hat-trick scorer, youngest finalist and youngest player to score in a final in World Cup history.

12/29/2022

One of the World's Most Congested Cities just Opened its First Metro Line
[CNN]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Bangladesh on Wednesday launched its first metro rail service in the capital Dhaka, with officials and commuters hopeful it will help ease traffic in one of the world's most densely populated and congested cities.
The largely Japanese-funded project, known as Line 6, was inaugurated at a ceremony by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- who described the new railway as a "milestone," the Dhaka Tribune reported. "Another feather added to the crown of the development of Bangladesh," she said. She added that there would also be train carriages reserved solely for women and said the Dkaha metro would help reduce traffic jams in the city "significantly".
The line, which stretches over 20 kilometers (about 12 miles), will serve 16 stations and connect the northern zone of Dhaka to government offices and hospitals for now, according to a statement released by the state-run Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). It will eventually expand to cut through the city to the financial district of Motijheel in the south, it added.. Dhaka is Bangladesh's largest city, its car clogged roads and traffic jams a daily source of frustration for its more than 20 million residents. More than 3,000 people in Bangladesh die in road accidents every year, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization. A horrific accident in 2018 saw two students killed by a speeding bus -- which drew crowds of angry young protesters to the streets. Experts note that Dhaka's infrastructure has failed to match the scale of its population. The problem is exacerbated by the country's overreliance on cars and -- until now -- lack of organized public transport, they say.

12/27/2022

Bangladesh Tries to Prevent Rohingya Refugees from Taking Dangerous Voyages’
[FE/B]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Bangladesh is trying to stop Rohingya refugees risking their lives in boats to Southeast Asia, a government official said, amid fears that this year could be one of the most deadly in years for the persecuted Muslims from Myanmar seeking new lives. A boat washed ashore in Indonesia's Aceh province on Monday carrying 174 Rohingya, most of them dehydrated, exhausted and in urgent need of medical care after weeks at sea, disaster agency officials said. The UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Monday 2022 could be one of the deadliest years at sea in almost a decade for the Rohingya as a growing number flee desperate conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh, despite attempts to stop them. "We're doing everything possible to stop them from taking the dangerous voyages," Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman told Reuters late on Monday. "We're going door to door and holding talks with community leaders in the camps to explain the dangers. Our law enforcement agencies, the navy and the coastguard are on alert. They are arresting those who are involved in human trafficking." Nearly 1.3 million Rohingya from Myanmar are living in Bangladesh, most in refugee camps including many who fled from their homes in Buddhist-majority Myanmar in 2017 to escape a military crackdown. But with prospects in the camps bleak and little hope of going home, many are driven to seek new lives further afield. Some 2,400 Rohingya have made or tried to make the sea journey to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia this year, the UNHCR estimates, which rights groups said was a five-fold increase from the previous year. Several boats packed with people have landed in Indonesia since November and Sri Lanka's navy rescued one. Thai fishermen found six Rohingya drifting at sea this week clinging to a water tank.
It is not clear what is driving the exodus but some activists believe the lifting of COVID restrictions around Southeast Asia, a favoured destination for the Rohingya, could be a factor.

12/26/2022

Former Maldives President Yameen to Appeal 11-year Jail Term
[Reuters]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

The Maldives criminal court on Sunday sentenced former president Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison and fined him $5 million after finding him guilty of corruption and money laundering charges related to receiving kickbacks from a private company. Yameen has denied any wrongdoing. He lost power in 2018 but has been declared presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of the Maldives for an election due in 2023. Already in 2019 he was sentenced to five years in jail and fined $5 million in 2019 for embezzling $1 million in state funds, which the prosecution said was acquired through the lease of resort development rights. After his sentencing, Yameen was shifted to house arrest in 2020 and was freed months later. Since his release, Yameen, the half-brother of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has returned to active politics with a campaign against Indian influence in Maldives, raising concerns in New Delhi. Situated close to strategic shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, Maldives is a focal point for competition between India and China over influence in the region.

12/26/2022

TTP Strikes Again In Pakistan’s Balochistan, 6 Security Men Killed In Multiple Attacks
[Dawn/Out Look]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

The notorious terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed the lives of six security personnel and injured a few others in the last two days by carrying out several attacks in the restive Balochistan province, Pakistan Army's media wing said on Sunday. According to a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a terrorist and a soldier were killed during an exchange of fire between militants and the security forces in an intelligence-based operation conducted in the Sambaza area of Zhob district.
It said the operation, launched on the basis of “credible information”, was continuing for the last 96 hours.
The objective was to “deny terrorists the use of few suspected routes to move across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to sneak into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces”, the statement said. The ISPR, Pakistan Army's media wing, also said that the terrorists were supported by their facilitators from across the border. In a separate incident in the Dannuk Gogdan area of Turbot, armed militants attacked a vehicle of the Frontier Corps on Saturday in which four soldiers were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire. In the border town of Chaman, a Levies soldier was killed when unknown militants on a motorcycle opened fire on a check post late last night. The TTP has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Turbat and Chaman.

12/26/2022

Afghanistan: Three Foreign NGOs Stop Work in Afghanistan after Taliban Ban on Women Staff
[PA,AFP/B]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Three foreign aid groups, including Save the Children, announced on Sunday they were suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban ordered all NGOs to stop their women staff from working.
The announcement came as top officials from the United Nations and dozens of NGOs operating in Afghanistan met in Kabul to discuss a way ahead after the Taliban's latest restriction delivered a blow to humanitarian work across the country. "We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff," Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said in a joint statement. "Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan." Saturday's order issued by the Taliban authorities drew swift international condemnation, with governments and organisations warning of the impact on humanitarian services in a country where millions rely on aid. The latest restriction comes less than a week after the hardline Islamists banned women from attending universities, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities. The Ministry of Economy on Saturday threatened to suspend the operating licences of NGOs if they failed to implement the order. (ed)

12/26/2022

Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' Becomes Nepal PM for Third Time
[DW,PA,AFP/B]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Nepal’s president appointed former guerrilla leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal prime minister for the third time on Sunday, after his Maoist party cobbled together a coalition following elections last month. Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or “the fierce one”, hid out for years in the jungle during Nepal’s 1996-2006 civil war that killed nearly 17,000 people and led to the end of the monarchy. Sagar Acharya, a spokesman for president Bidya Devi Bhandari, told AFP that Dahal, 68, has been appointed as the new prime minister and would be sworn in on Monday at 4:00pm (1015 GMT). Following the 2006 peace accords, Dahal transformed his Maoist revolutionary movement into a political party and served briefly as prime minister in 2008-9, and again in 2016-17. (ed)

12/23/2022

At least 3 Person Including one Policeman Martyred & Six injured in Su***de Blast in Islamabad’s I-10, Pakistan: Police
[Dawn/Geo,News/P]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

At least 3 person including one policeman was martyred and six people — including four police officers and two civilians — were injured in a su***de blast in Islamabad’s I-10/4 sector on Friday, police officials said. Television footage showed the fiery wreckage of a vehicle with a large number of police personnel combing the scene. Shortly afterwards, the Islamabad Police declared a “red alert” in the city. According to Deputy Inspector General of Police Sohail Zafar Chattha, the police spotted a “suspicious vehicle” with a man and a woman aboard at 10:15am in the area. “When the police stopped the vehicle, the couple came out of the car. The long-haired man, while being checked by the officers, went inside the vehicle on some pretext and then detonated himself,” he said in a media briefing at the crime scene alongside Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon. Chattha said a police officer of the Eagle Squad was martyred in the blast while four others officers were injured. He lauded the police for “saving Islamabad from a major foul play”. Meanwhile, the joint executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Dr Iqbal Durrani, told Dawn.com that two bodies and five injured policemen had been brought to the hospital. Separately, in an interview with Geo News, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that “two terrorists” were killed in the blast. “The vehicle used in the blast was registered in Chakwal. The car entered Islamabad from Rawalpindi […] it was packed with explosives and headed for a high-value target in the capital,” he said. Sanaullah added that had the car reached its target, it would have caused heavy losses. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released on Friday.
Earlier in a tweet, the Islamabad police identified the slain officer as Head Constable Adeel Hussain. It said that terrorists had been targeting police for some time to demoralise law enforcement personnel.

12/22/2022

U.N. Council Demands End to Myanmar Violence in First Resolution in Decades
[Reu/FE/ALJ.]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

The UN Security Council adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years on Wednesday to demand an end to violence and urge the military junta to release all political prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Reuters reports. Myanmar has been in crisis since the army took power from Suu Kyi's elected government on Feb 1, 2021, detaining her and other officials and responding to pro-democracy protests and dissent with lethal force. "Today we've sent a firm message to the military that they should be in no doubt - we expect this resolution to be implemented in full," Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said after the vote on the British-drafted resolution. "We've also sent a clear message to the people of Myanmar that we seek progress in line with their rights, their wishes and their interests," Woodward told the 15-member council. It has long been split on how to deal with the Myanmar crisis, with China and Russia arguing against strong action. They both abstained from the vote on Wednesday, along with India. The remaining 12 members voted in favor.
"China still has concerns," China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun told the council after the vote. "There is no quick fix to the issue ... Whether or not it can be properly resolved in the end, depends fundamentally, and only, on Myanmar itself." He said China had wanted the Security Council to adopt a formal statement on Myanmar, not a resolution.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow did not view the situation in Myanmar as a threat to international peace and security and therefore believed it should not be dealt with by the UN Security Council.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the resolution's adoption. "This is an important step by the Security Council to address the crisis and end the Burma military regime's escalating repression and violence against civilians," he said in a statement.

12/22/2022

India Beefs up Military at China Border
[FE./B/ BBC/T times]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

India's foreign minister has said that the country has scaled up troop deployment along a disputed border with China to an unprecedented level. S Jaishankar added that India wouldn't let China "unilaterally change" the status quo at the border. His comments came days after Indian and Chinese forces clashed in a disputed area along the border in Arunachal Pradesh state. India said that the encounter began due to "encroachment" by Chinese troops. China's foreign ministry has said that according to their knowledge, the situation on the border was "generally stable" and the two sides were maintaining dialogue on the issue. India and China share a disputed 3,440km (2,100 mile) long de facto border - called the Line of Actual Control, or LAC - which is poorly demarcated. Soldiers on either side come face to face at many points, and tensions sometimes escalate into skirmishes or clashes. Both sides have been trying to de-escalate since a violent brawl in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region much further to the west - 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers died in the battle. The latest flare-up - the first in more than a year - occurred on 9 December, and resulted in minor injuries to a few soldiers. Both sides immediately disengaged from the area, the Indian army said. Mr Jaishankar was answering questions about the incident while speaking at an event organised by media company India Today on Monday. "Today, you have a deployment of the Indian Army on China border that we never had. It is done to counter Chinese aggression. The Indian Army today is deployed to counter any attempt to unilaterally change LAC," he said. China hasn't responded to the comments yet. The latest clash had led to a political uproar in India last week, with opposition parties walking out of parliament after their demand for an immediate discussion of the border situation was denied. Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's main opposition Congress party, has accused the government of ignoring the threat from China, and alleged that the country's forces were "thrashing" Indian soldiers at the border.

12/21/2022

Taliban Suspend University Education for Women in Afghanistan
[CNN]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

The Taliban government has suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan, the latest step in its brutal clampdown on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women. A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education confirmed the suspension to CNN on Tuesday. A letter published by the education ministry said the decision was made in a cabinet meeting and the order will go into effect immediately.
Girls were barred from returning to secondary schools in March, after the Taliban ordered schools for girls to shut just hours after they were due to reopen following months long closures imposed after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Human Rights Watch criticized the ban on Tuesday, calling it a “shameful decision that violates the right to education for women and girls in Afghanistan.” “The Taliban are making it clear every day that they don’t respect the fundamental rights of Afghans, especially women,” the rights watchdog said in a statement.
The US condemns “the Taliban’s indefensible decision to ban women from universities,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a Tuesday briefing. The Taliban’s recent decision, he said, will “have significant consequences for the Taliban and will further alienate the Taliban from the international community and deny them the legitimacy they desire.”(ed)

12/21/2022

At least 25 Militants Killed as Forces Secure CTD Center, KPK, Pakistan.
[Dawn,IANS,Geo/p]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

At least three security officials, including a subedar major who was taken hostage by militants holed up inside the Counter-Terrorism Depart¬¬ment (CTD) building in Bannu,kpk, Pakistan were martyred as security forces secured the facility seized by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) men over the weekend. Speaking to Geo News late on Tuesday night, Inter-Services Public Rela¬tions Director General Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif said that 33 terrorists were under investigation in the CTD compound on Dec 18. “One of them snatched a weapon from a CTD officer and got his allies freed. They took hold of the weapons from the armoury and started firing, martyring a CTD officer while one was injured who later passed away.” He said one officer of the security forces present inside the complex was taken hostage and other security personnel reached the site and surrounded the complex as soon as they heard the sound of firing. Gen Sharif said two terrorists were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire while three who tried to escape were arrested and two security personnel were injured as well. “Our forces surrounded the entire area and thwarted any attempt by the terrorists to escape. In the last 48 hours, there were all-out attempts for an unconditional surrender from the terrorists who were de¬-manding safe passage to go to Afghanistan.” He said this demand was “completely rejected”. Gen Sharif added that because the terrorists were not ready to surrender their weapons, “forces started an operation on the CTD complex [on Tuesday] during which there was heavy exchange of fire and rooms were cleared out.”
The DG said security personnel fought bravely and 30 terrorists were killed in the clash, three were arrested and seven surrendered to the forces. He said three security officers were martyred in the operation while 10, including three officers, were injured. “This operation is a testimony to the Pakistan Army’s bravery and mission against terrorism,” Gen Sharif added.

12/21/2022

Freed Foreigners Return Home after Myanmar Prisoner Amnesty
[Aljazeera]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Four foreigners who were among the thousands jailed by Myanmar’s military following its February 2021 coup have flown out of the country after being released in an amnesty. Sean Turnell, a 58-year-old Australian economist who worked as an adviser for elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, arrived in Melbourne on Friday morning. His wife, Ha Vu, posted a photo of the two of them smiling on social media.
“He is here,” she wrote, adding a smiling emoji surrounded by hearts. Turnell was arrested shortly after the generals seized power and convicted alongside Aung San Suu Kyi of breaching the official secrets act in September. A military court jailed them for three years each. Also returning home was Japanese journalist Toru Kubota who landed in Tokyo early on Friday morning. The 26-year-old was arrested after filming an anti-coup rally in Yangon in July and found guilty last month of inciting discontent against the military.
“I was released so quickly thanks to supporters in Japan, the press and government officials who made efforts to resolve the situation,” he told reporters at Haneda airport. Former United Kingdom ambassador to Myanmar, Vicky Bowman took a connecting flight after arriving in Bangkok on Thursday night and did not comment on her release. She had been jailed with her husband, prominent artist Htein Lin, over immigration offences. The military had said he too would be freed but reporters on the plane said he was not with Bowman.

12/20/2022

Embankment Row Highlights Urgency of Settling Border Issues with India
[Kath. post/ Nepal-Anil Giri]
Ashraf N ayan ( a free journalist from Bangladesh)

Another sad incident in Darchula district on Sunday was indicative not just of the Indian state’s callousness towards its small neighbour but also exposed Nepal’s lack of preparation in safeguarding its border settlements.
The incident involved people on either side of the border pelting stones at one another across the Mahakali River, injuring four Nepali nationals including a minor. “The Ministry of Home Affairs has on Monday written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting a long-term solution to the recurring disputes in Darchula,” Basanta Bhattarai, deputy spokesperson at the Home Ministry told the Post. On the basis of the report received from the District Administration Office, Darchula and similar past incidents in the district, we have asked the foreign ministry to initiate talks with India to seek a long-term solution, said Bhattarai. Darchula has reported several border-related issues in the past and the government has sent two diplomatic notes to India, but the southern neighbour has generally snubbed such concerns. A senior foreign ministry official confirmed to the Post that his office received the communication from the home ministry, but due to time constraint, they could not communicate the concerns to the Indian side. “We received a letter from the home ministry after office hours and we are yet to go through it. We will study it on Tuesday and then write to the Indian side,” the official added. The Darchula incident also figured prominently in the meeting of the ruling coalition on Monday. After the meeting, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said the government would resolve the incident through diplomacy. Meanwhile, the chief district officer of Darchula Dirgha Raj Upadhyaya told the Post that his office on Sunday and Monday informed the home ministry about the incident and that the government should work seriously to find a permanent solution to the dispute.
Officials said the situation on the Darchula border at Khalanga turned tense on Sunday evening after police used force to disperse Nepali demonstrators who had closed the Jhulaghat bridge across the Mahakali River to protest India’s unilateral construction of embankment on its side. Several Indian traders who were stuck on the Nepali side following the bridge’s closure were also injured. Earlier in the day, Nepalis and those on the Indian side had chanted slogans against each other and pelted stones. A child on the Nepali side was injured after he was hit by a stone from the Indian side. At the root of the dispute is the ongoing construction of the embankment.
On June 16, 2013, a swollen Mahakali river changed its course and submerged the Khalanga Bazaar, the district headquarters of Darchula. Due to a change in the river’s course, a piece of Nepali land came to fall on the Indian side. And about two years ago, before the river could return to its original course, India started building an embankment, which would result in Nepal permanently losing the piece of land. Nepal has so far not taken any initiative for the land’s return. On July 30, 2021, Jaya Singh Dhami, 33, from Khangdang Mal of Byas Rural Municipality-2 in Darchula fell into Mahakali while crossing the river using an improvised cable crossing. Eyewitnesses said Dhami fell after Indian security personnel untied the cable before Dhami had reached the other side. The government took up the matter with India through diplomatic channels, urging the Indian side to take action against those involved in the incident. But the Indian side is yet to take any action and Dhami’s whereabouts remain unknown to date. This March, Nepalis in Khalanga staged a protest against the Indian attempt to embank the river and permanently divert the river to the Nepali side. In October, nine years old boy Pawan Mahara of the same district died after being hit by a stone that flew from a blast carried out for the widening of the Tawaghat-Lipulekh road by India across Mahakali. Later the Indian construction company, Garg and Garg, provided Rs1.6 million in compensation to Mahara’s family and agreed to pay for the education of his sister, who was also injured in the incident. Locals fear India’s “unilateral” embanking of the river will permanently change the river’s course and hence the repeat scuffles, said Upadhyaya, the Darchula CDO.
Earlier, there had been an agreement between Nepali and Indian officials whereby both sides would refrain from constructing embankments along the disputed parts of the river.
“But the Indian side kept building the embankment and as a result the locals in Darchula protested on Sunday,” a Home Ministry official said, adding, “We have instructed the district administration to take up the matter with the Indian side immediately to prevent such incidents.”(Ed)