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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 13, No. 50, June 15, 2015

Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal


ASSESSMENT

NEPAL
Click for PrintPrint

Political Breakthrough
S. Binodkumar Singh
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

In a major breakthrough, paving the way for promulgating a new Constitution, four major political parties – the Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L) – signed a 16-point agreement on June 8, 2015. The agreement was signed by the NC President and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman K.P. Oli, UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and MJF-L Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar.

According to the agreement, the country would be federated into eight federal states on the basis of five factors of identity - ethnicity/community, language, culture, geographical and regional continuity and history; and four factors of capability – economic capability, infrastructure potential, availability of natural resources and administrative feasibility.

The four parties command more than 465 seats in the 601-member Constituent Assembly (CA), sufficient to endorse the new Constitution.

Welcoming the agreement, United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a statement issued on June 8, 2015, declared, “The UN applauded the diligent efforts and constructive leadership demonstrated by Nepali political leaders in reaching the agreement. This achievement is particularly laudable as it was reached amid challenging circumstances caused by the major earthquakes of April and May."  Nepal was hit twice by massive earthquakes during a span of less than one month, on April 25, 2015 (7.8 magnitude) and May 12, 2015 (7.3 magnitude) in which, according to Government data, at least 8,702 people were killed and another 22,220 sustained injuries; and property worth Nepalese Rupee (NPR) 100 billion was destroyed.

Meanwhile, a day after the major parties signed the 16-point agreement, a meeting of the CA Plenary on June 9, 2015, forwarded the agreement to the CA's Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC), in order to formalize the agreement, as it had not clearly spelled out the details of the proposed system of federalism, the most contentious of all issues that have held up the Constitution drafting process. On June 10, 2015, the CPDCC formed a six-member Sub-committee headed by NC General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka, to forge an agreement on the remaining disputed issues. UCPN-M General Secretary Krishna Bahadur Mahara, CPN-UML Secretary Gokarna Bista, Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) Chief Whip Dilanath Giri, Tharuhat Tarai Party (TTP) Advisor Gopal Dahit and Samajbadi Janata Party (SJP) Chaiman Prem Bahadur Singh, are the members of the Sub-committee. But, as the Sub-committee failed to forge consensus in its meeting on June 11, 2015, the responsibility of securing an agreement on residual issues such as the transitional governance, some terminology of the preamble of the new Constitution, and the draft of Constitution amendment, was handed back to the CPDCC itself.

Remarkably, in view of the obstructive approaches of the past, the CPDCC pushed forward, clearing the way for the finalization of the first draft of the new Constitution, submitting a consensus report on the disputed agendas of the statute to the CA on June 11, 2015. The report presented by CPDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai was forwarded to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) after deliberations in the full House of the CA on June 12, 2015. Meanwhile, the CDC headed by NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula will have to prepare the first draft of the Constitution within 15 days. If everything goes as planned, the new Constitution will be promulgated by mid-July.

Expectedly, opposing the 16-point agreement, the UCPN-M-led 30-party opposition alliance, which started collaboration following the second CA elections, split into two on June 9, 2015. While 13 of the constituent parties supported the deal (all 13 are represented in the CA), 17 parties opposed the deal (of which only five are represented in the CA). The 13 parties supporting the deal attended the meeting called by UCPN-M Chairman Dahal at Singha Durbar (The Lion Palace), the official seat of Government in Kathmandu. They hailed the agreement as “historic” and decided to join the CA from June 9, 2015, itself. The other 17 parties attended the meeting called by Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur, at the same venue and on the same day and concluded that the deal is regressive.  They agreed in principle to form a new front without UCPN-M and MJF-L, and to continue their struggle for identity-based federalism.

Earlier, on June 8, 2015, arguing that the agreement failed to resolve the issue of federalism, TMDP Vice Chairman Hridayesh Tripathi asserted, "If the major parties sign any deal without finalizing the issue of federalism, we would walk out of the alliance and the Constituent Assembly (CA)." Similarly, Sadbhavana Party (SP) Chairman Rajendra Mahato had said on June 8, 2015, "Federalism is the major agenda of recent political changes. So we cannot move ahead without deciding the issue of federalism. It would be a political dishonesty." Likewise, on June 8, 2015, Federal Socialist Party (FSP) Chairman Ashok Rai termed the agreement a ‘baseless and faceless proposal’.

The 16-point agreement also triggered rifts in various other opposition alliances. On June 10, 2015, a day after the split of the 30-party alliance, four major parties in the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) – Madhesi People's Rights Forum Nepal (MPRF-N), TMDP, SP and National Madhes Shadbhavana Party (NMSP) – decided to oust the Bijay Gachhadar-led MJF-L from the front for signing the deal, despite opposition in the camp.

Similarly, terming the UCPN-M decision to sign the 16-point deal a betrayal, Mohan Baidya aka Kiran, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Baidya) during a Press meet at the party office in Buddha Nagar, Kathmandu, on June 10, 2015, noted that the five-Maoist parties alliance no longer exists. UCPN-M had formed an alliance with the CPN-Maoist-Baidya, the Matriya Yadav-led CPN-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Matriya), the Mani Thapa-led Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) and Pari Thapa-led CPN-Unified (CPN-U) on June 28, 2014, to exert pressure on the ruling parties for adopting identity-based federalism.

Earlier, demanding that the new Constitution should be written on the basis of consensus among the key stakeholders of the peace process, the UCPN-M-led 30 party-opposition alliance had called for a three-day nationwide general shutdown between April 7 and 9, 2015.  At least 24 persons, including eight Security Force (SF) personnel, had sustained injuries in clashes that had erupted during the first day of the shutdown in various parts of Nepal. On April 7, 2015, the alliance decided to call off its general shutdown planned for April 8 and April 9, following calls from several quarters. 

Though the parties have agreed to start the drafting process, some minor provisions of the Constitution remain unsettled. The parties were split over how to describe “Maoist insurgency” in the new Constitution: the Maoists want to term it “people’s war” while the NC and the CPN-UML say it may be called “armed insurgency”. The NC took a stance that “pluralism” should be incorporated into the Constitution, which the UCPN-M opposed. The parties also debated terms such as “inclusive” and “proportional representation of oppressed and marginalized communities”. The parties, however, agreed to continue negotiations on the contentious issues while the draft is being ‘readied’.

Despite persisting difficulties, the 16-point agreement between the four major parties constitutes a major political breakthrough, and the Constitution-making process is now likely to move ahead relatively smoothly, since the political forces commanding an overwhelming majority in the 601-seat CA have agreed to expedite the drafting process based. However, there are several lacunae and ambiguities in the agreement, particularly on federalism, and the political parties will once again have to negotiate the details of the federal structure. There is also an urgent need for the parties to provide clarity on various other issues, and not get caught up in triumphalism. The 16-point agreement creates a critical opportunity, but can be jeopardized by new confrontations, mistrust and confusion, to once again scupper the Constitution drafting project.

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

Jharkhand: Sustained Offensive
Mrinal Kanta Das
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

Twelve Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including a ‘zonal commander’ identified as Anurag Yadav aka RK aka Doctor, who was carrying a reward of INR 1 million on his head, were killed by a joint team of Palamu Police, Jharkhand Jaguars and Commando Battalion of Resolute Action (CoBRA) personnel at Bakoria village near the Palamu-Latehar border in the Palamu District of Jharkhand at around 01:00 hrs [IST] on June 9, 2015. Confirming the incident, Palamu Superintendent of Police (SP) Patel Mayur Kanaiya Lal stated, “The encounter took place in Bakoria village, about 140 km from Ranchi. All the bodies have been recovered." Two INSAS rifles, an American 30-06 Springfield rifle, four .303 rifles, a semi-automatic rifle and cache of ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

According to reports, RK was leading a group of Maoists who had attacked Security Forces (SFs) in the Karmatiya Forest in Latehar District on January 7, 2013, resulting in the death of 10 troopers and injury to another 15. Two Maoists were also killed during the encounter. Four civilians, who were reportedly helping the SFs recover the dead bodies the next day, lost their lives when a landmine placed beneath the body of one of the troopers exploded. It was later found that the Maoists had booby-trapped the bodies of another five SF personnel by surgically inserting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in their abdomens. The SFs had been vigorously searching for RK since.

Apart from playing the lead role in this infamous attack, RK was also the 'secretary' of the Maoists’ South Garhwa Sub-zone and a member of the Koelsankh Zonal Committee. The Koelsankh ‘military formation’, led by RK, was considered one of the strongest Maoist military formations and operated in Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga and Simdega Districts of Jharkhand.

A day after the Bakoria incident, on June 10, another encounter took place between SFs and Maoists in the Katkahi Forest under the Chainpur Block of Gumla District. SFs arrested a CPI-Maoist ‘zonal commander’, identified as Ashok Kumar aka Prasad Lakra and two of his associates from the encounter site. Police also found one .303 rifle, an American 30-06 Springfield rifle and four .315 regular rifles, besides over 30 IEDs, several hand grenades, 250 live bullets and other materials from the site. A civilian, identified as Christopher Giddh (35), was killed during the encounter. Commenting on the civilian killing, Arun Kumar Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ranchi Range, said a team of District Police and Jharkhand Armed Police Commandos was reconnoitring the Katkahi area when the Maoists opened fire from atop a small hill: "The civilian was not on the side of the Maoists during the encounter. It seems that a stray bullet from the Maoists side hit him."

Referring to Lakra’s arrest, Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Operations, and Police Spokesperson S.N. Pradhan observed, "He is one of the main Maoist leaders involved in kidnapping of children for recruitment in the banned outfit in Gumla, Lohardaga and Latehar districts." Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) have abducted at least 35 children in 2015, and have been giving them ‘military training’. The High Court of Jharkhand recently took suo-moto cognisance of a media report on this matter and issued notices to both the Central and the State Governments to find and recover the children.

Meanwhile, on May 9, 2015, Police arrested a CPI-Maoist 'sub-zonal commander' identified as Ashok Yadav along with another Maoist cadre, Bhiklal Dangi, in the Chatra District. Yadav was in charge of the Koleshwari Zone.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), in the first five months and 14 days of 2015 (data till June 14, 2015), a total of 30 Naxalites (LWEs) have been killed by the SFs in Jharkhand. In the corresponding period of 2014, this number stood at seven. Crucially, one ‘sub-zonal commander’ each of People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) and CPI-Maoist; one ‘area commander’ each of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC, a CPI-Maoist breakaway faction) and the PLFI, another Maoist splinter group), and one CPI-Maoist ‘zonal commander’; were lynched by the public in separate incidents during this period. In terms of fatalities among the Maoists during the current year, Jharkhand is the leading State.

SFs have also arrested 68 LWEs in the State in 2015, including the May 9 arrest of the most prominent among these, Ashok Kumar aka Prasad Lakra. Significantly, Jharkhand records the highest number of arrests in the country in 2015, along with Chhattisgarh (68 arrests each, updated till June 14).      

Under relentless pressure, the Maoist belligerence has also seen significant decline, with fatalities among SFs registering a drop. During the current year, SFs have lost two personnel, as compared to seven during the corresponding period of 2014 and 18 in 2013.

Further, SF operational successes have consolidated the environment of security among civilians. 12 civilian fatalities have been recorded in the current year, as against 21 civilian killings during the corresponding period of 2014 and 26 in 2013. However in a major attack on March 21, 2015, the Maoists kidnapped and killed three members of the former royal Shahdeo family at Murmu village in the Lohardaga District. Maoist sources claimed that they were killed because they were ‘Police informers’. Explaining the possible reason for the killings Lohardaga SP Manoj Ratan Chothe disclosed, "The Shahdeos resisted Left-Wing Extremists since they entered the area in 1991."

Significantly, the Chief Minister (CM) Raghubar Das-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Government had come to power in Jharkhand with a pledge to control the overall law and order situation and, in particular, to rein in the Naxalites in the State. After a fortnight of coming to power, Das asserted, on January 16, 2015, "The Jharkhand Government will rise to the challenge posed by Maoists. We will decimate extremism and Maoist violence in the State within six months."

It would be premature to conclude that the improved security scenario in the State is primarily due to the new Government’s resolve and initiatives. Indeed, the situation across all Maoist-affected States has improved substantially over the past years, even where state action has been far from satisfactory. It is useful to note, moreover, that many challenges remain before an enduring peace can be established in Jharkhand.

The violence perpetrated by the Maoists during the two day (May 24-25) Jharkhand and Bihar bandh (shut down strike), for instance, was a reminder that the Maoists retained significant capacites to hit back. The bandh had been called to protest against the killing of a woman Maoist ‘commander’, identified as Sarita aka Urmila Ganjoo in the Gaya District of Bihar on May 17, 2015. During the bandh, Maoists set ablaze three vehicles on National Highway-100 between Tatia Jharia and Bishnugarh in the Hazaribagh District of Jharkhand. Similarly, in neighbouring Bihar’s Gaya District, life was badly hit during the shut down, and the Maoists torched 32 vehicles despite a Police alert.

Again, on June 8, 2015, PLFI sent a threat letter to the Ranchi Archbishop Telesphore Placidus Toppo of the Roman Catholic Church, seeking INR 50 million as extortion, failing which he would be killed. A self-styled PLFI ‘zonal commander’ of the Jharkhand-West Bengal Region, Raj Kujur, sent the letter to Cardinal House with a deadline of 15 days for the payment. The letter said, "You have made moolah by spreading religion (evangelicalism), which is why you should give some cut to the organization. The Police can do us no damage. The Police do not have the capacity to arrest our men. If you do not pay, you will be killed." Further, the arrest of four top PLFI cadres, including its Bihar in-charge Awadehsh Jaiswal, from Patna, reconfirmed the group’s determination to expand its areas of operation. In an interview published on May 11, 2015, PLFI ‘chief’ Dinesh Gope declared that PLFI was talking to tea garden labourers to extend its base to Assam, after having spread to Uttarakhand and Haryana. He also claimed that his cadres were in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, China and Nepal for talks with "like-minded organisations".

Meanwhile, the State continues to reel under factional clashes among the LWE outfits. There are more than 19 LWE factions operating in Jharkhand, each thriving on extortion, ransom collection and terror, and engaged in bloody turf wars, one against the other.

Numerous deficiencies in the State’s apparatus of response also persist. These are some of the challenges from the enemy side. Significantly, the Special Branch of Jharkhand Police has over 1,250 vacant posts across board, including the crucial posts of Sub-Inspectors, who gather intelligence on LWEs and other anti-social elements from the field. According to a June 5 media report, Jharkhand Police Spokesperson S.N. Pradhan admitted, "The vacancy at the crucial posts definitely takes a toll on the efficiency of the branch. A few officers are doing the job of many." The Special Branch of Jharkhand Police has a sanctioned strength of 2,500 (and is thus currently operating at a 50 per cent deficit).

The Palamu incident may represent a measure of consolidation on the part of the SFs in Jharkhand. However, there is little scope for complacency, despite the Maoists’ admission that they are in ‘tactical retreat’ as a result of the overwhelming losses they have suffered over the past years. The will of the top leadership is yet to be broken, and the Maoists have repeatedly demonstrated capacities for resurgence in the past.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
June 8-14, 2015

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

INDIA

 

Arunachal Pradesh

0
0
2
2

Assam

0
0
1
1

Jammu and Kashmir

3
0
0
3

Manipur

0
0
1
1

Left-wing Extremism

 

Chhattisgarh

1
0
4
5

Jharkhand

1
0
12
13

Total (INDIA)

5
0
20
25

PAKISTAN

 

Balochistan

7
4
0
11

FATA

2
7
91
100

KP

2
2
0
4

Sindh

0
1
7
8

PAKISTAN (Total)

11
14
98
123
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


BANGLADESH

Bangladesh steps up Operations against North East insurgents: Bangladesh has stepped up operations against Indian insurgent outfits holed up in its territory, top security officials have indicated. "Tremendous operations are going on even today in Bangladesh, stated Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General (IG) Meghalaya Frontier Sudesh Kumar. The top BSF official said most of the operations against Indian insurgents are going on in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Mymensingh regions of Bangladesh. Times of India, June 12, 2015.

Bangladesh Jihadi Group formed research cell to take control of electronic banking system of several banks, says Police: Police on June 10 said that Bangladesh Jihadi Group, a platform of banned militant organizations formed a research cell to take control of the electronic banking system of several banks. Detectives made with the findings after interrogating the nine militants of the group arrested on June 7 and analyzing the laptop recovered from their possession. Dhaka Tribune, June 11, 2015.


INDIA

Around 115 militants killed by Indian Special Forces inside Myanmar: On June 9, Indian Army's surgical strike deep inside Myanmar, bordering Manipur, lasted for about 45 minutes and over 100 northeast militants may have been killed in the operation, stated a source from Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA). Six injured rebels are admitted in a hospital. Myanmar has since cordoned off the area where Indian Army undertook operations against northeast insurgents. Times of India, June 10, 2015.

GoI plan to re-impose ban on NSCN-K: Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has prepared a note for the Union Cabinet for declaring Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) as outlawed in the wake of the June 4 ambush in Chandel District in Manipur. NSCN-K was a banned organisation till 2001 but it was withdrawn after the group entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India (GoI). E-PAO, June 13, 2015.

West Bengal Police suspects KLO 'chief' may have been killed in Myanmar Operations: The security establishment in West Bengal suspects that Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) 'chairman' Jibon Singh may have been killed in the Army operation in Myanmar on June 9. There are reports that three of the bodies that were brought back from the Myanmar encounter site were taken to Jorhat Medical College (Assam) for autopsy. One of them could be Jibon's, say sources, adding that DNA tests may be done to ascertain identity. Times of India, June 13, 2015.

Intelligence agencies pinpoint location of at least 17 militant camps in Myanmar: Intelligence agencies have pinpointed the locations of at least 17 camps of North East militant groups inside Myanmar. A source said the locations of these camps are within the 40-km radius from the India-Myanmar border. The source stated, "The nearest camp is just 6 to 7 km from the international border and the rest are scattered within the 40-km range." The camps are reportedly in the Taga area across the Tirap-Changlang-Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh and across the border with Manipur and Nagaland. Times of India, June 11, 2015.

KCP and KYKL suspended from CorCom in Manipur: Intelligence reports also reveal that while NSCN-K claimed that it carried out the June 4 attack ambush along with Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the latter two outfits have been suspended from the joint group Coordination Committee (CorCom) from June 5. Times of India, June 12, 2015.

CRPF to use new drones for anti-Maoist operations in Odisha: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is planning to procure new type of drones for use in anti-Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) operations, said Director General (DG) of CRPF Prakash Mishra in Koraput District on June 10. The DG of CRPF was in the District to review the CRPF activity in the Maoist-prone area and to inaugurate several infrastructural facilities of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) stationed at Sunabeda in the District for anti-Maoist operations. The Hindu, June 11, 2015.

Pakistan's ISI funding pro-Khalistan groups in India, US, Canada and Germany, says report: Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is funding pro-Khalistan groups in India and abroad, according to intelligence inputs. The report said, a group of 22 Sikh youths who were recently found raising pro-Khalistan slogans on the periphery of the Golden Temple near Akal Takht in Amritsar, were instructed to take help from Pakistan to spread violence in India. The report further said that the ISI is also funding Sikh radical outfits including Babbar Khalsa in India, US, Germany and Canada. Zee News, June 9, 2015.


NEPAL

PDCC meet failed to arrive at consensus: A sub-committee formed by Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) on June 10 failed to arrive at consensus electoral system for upper house, provincial parliament and granting citizenship through mother. The sub-committee was also divided on the number of constitutional commissions to be formed in the new set-up. The sub-committee members will be holding separate and joint discussions with the top leaders of their respective parties in a bid to forge consensus on the disputed issues. Kantipur Online, June 11, 2015.


PAKISTAN

91 militants and seven SFs among 100 persons killed during the week in FATA: 20 unidentified militants were killed in airstrikes conducted at a place near Dattakhel area in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) near Pakistan-Afghanistan border on June 13.

At least 25 militants, including their key 'commander', were killed in an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) after a check post attack in the Shawal area of NWA on June 12.

At least 10 militants were killed during a search operation by SFs in Dattakhel area of NWA on June 11.

A wanted terrorist by the name of Haji Ilyas Gul was killed on June 10 during an intelligence based operation in the Spin Khawra area of NWA.

At least 12 suspected militants were killed during airstrikes in Khyber Agency on June 9.

At least 19 militants, including five 'commanders', were killed in an encounter when SFs chased them after they attacked a checkpoint of the forces and killed seven soldiers in Dattakhel area of NWA on June 8. Daily Times; Dawn; The News; Tribune; Central Asia Online; The Nation; The Frontier Post; Pakistan Today; Pakistan Observer,  June 9-15, 2015.

Don't push us, we didn't make nukes for celebration, warns former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf: Slamming India for 'destablising' Pakistan, former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf on June 12 said that the country's nuclear weapons are for defence purposes and not for "celebratory" occasions. Musharraf claimed that India is planning a strategy to ultimately de-nuclearise Pakistan. "We do not want to use nuclear capability but if our existence comes under threat, who do we have these nuclear weapons for? If I say in Chaudhary Shujaat's style, do we have nukes saved to be used on Shab-e-Baraat?" he said. Tribune, June 13, 2015.

Islamabad rejects EU concerns over death penalty: Pakistan on June 12 rejected the European Union (EU) demand, seeking an immediate end to executions in the country. Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah defended the revocation of a moratorium on the death penalty, saying the punishment was well within the parameters of international law. Referring to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Khalilullah said Article 6 of the covenant states that every human being has inherent right to life. Tribune, June 13, 2015.

Over PKR 230 billion illegally collected annually and distributed among gang-war factions in Karachi, informs DG-Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar to Sindh Apex Committee: Director General (DG) Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar during a briefing to the Sindh Apex Committee regarding the current Karachi situation on June 11 said that over PKR 230 billion is collected illegally in Karachi annually and those millions of rupees are distributed amongst gang-war factions. He further revealed that this money is used for the purchase of arms and ammunition. Daily Times, June 12, 2015.

India should not mistake Pakistan for Myanmar, says Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar: Pakistan on June 10 said that India should not mistake Pakistan for Myanmar as the armed forces of Pakistan could give a befitting reply to any Indian act of aggression. Responding to a statement issued by Indian Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar said that Pakistan wanted peace in the region yet its friendly overtures should not be confused as a sign of weakness. The News, June 11, 2015.

Group involved in cops killing identified, says Sindh IG Ghulam Haider Jamali: The Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police, Ghulam Haider Jamali on June 10 claimed that the group involved in the killings of Police officials in Malir and West Districts of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, has been identified. Addressing a ceremony organized to distribute cheques among the families of Police martyrs, the IG Sindh said culprits involved in the killings of Policemen will be brought to justice, claiming that Karachi city has witnessed a decline in target killings in 2015 compared to 2014. The News, June 11, 2015.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urges UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to resolve Kashmir issue: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his meeting with United Nations (US) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Implementation of the International Decade for Action Water for Life (2005-15) on June 9 urged him to play a proactive role in promoting peace in the region, adding that it was incumbent on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to ensure early implementation of its commitment as reflected in the resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. Dawn, June 10, 2015.


SRI LANKA

Hitherto hostile Tamil Diaspora to publicly renounce violence and separatism, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera on June 12 told the Parliament that the once anti-Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora is likely to issue a statement renouncing violence and separatism. Samaraweera said "As a result of our discussions (in London last weekend), and our efforts, it is most likely that the Diaspora groups which were previously hostile to Sri Lanka, would issue a declaration renouncing violence and commit themselves to working towards a united, undivided Sri Lanka". Colombo Page, June 13, 2015.

Controversial documentary on Sri Lanka screened in the Irish Parliament: The controversial documentary on Sri Lanka's war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists, 'No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka' has reportedly been screened in the Irish Parliament on June 10. According to foreign media reports, Member of Irish Parliament Paul Murphy has hosted the event with the attendance of Irish MPs, the film's director Callum Macrae, exiled Sri Lankan journalist Bashana Abeywardena and investigative reporter on Sri Lanka Phil Miller. Colombo Page, June 12, 2015.

Sri Lankan Cabinet approves 20th Amendment with a new electoral system of 237 Parliamentary seats: Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers during a special meeting convened on June 12 approved a new electoral system proposed for the 20th Amendment that increased the number of parliamentary seats to 237 from the current 225. Under the new system, 145 Parliamentarians will be elected under the First-Past-the Post (FPP) system, 55 under the District Proportional Representation (PR) system and 37 from the National List through the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Colombo Page, June 13, 2015.

No military administration in Northern Provincial capital, assures Sri Lanka Army: Emphasizing that the Sri Lanka Police continue to maintain security in Jaffna, the Sri Lanka Army affirmed on June 10 that there is no military administration whatsoever in the Northern Provincial capital, Jaffna. Security Forces (SFs) Commander in Jaffna Major General Nandana Udawatta said that the military is not involved in civilian administration and there was no security threat to the Jaffna peninsula after the Presidential Election held on January 8, 2015. Colombo Page, June 11, 2015.


The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.

SAIR is a project of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

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Editor
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