South Asia Terrorism Portal
Telangana: Revolution on Hold Deepak Kumar Nayak Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On January 11, 2019, the District Police arrested two Communist Party of India- Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres from Tekula Gudem village in the Bhadradri Kothagudem District. The arrested cadres were identified as Yalam Bikshamaiah and Valva Kistaiah of Lodedu village in Bijapur District, Chhattisgarh. They were said to be working as members of the CPI-Maoist’s ‘Revolutionary People’s Committee (RPC) of Maddedu Area Committee’.
On January 6, 2019, the State Police arrested a leader of the Chandranna faction of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist-New Democracy (CPI-ML-New Democracy-Chandranna), identified as Singaboyina Veerabhadram aka Ramanna, near Vennaram Lake in the Dornakal Mandal (administrative sub-division) in Bhadradri Kothagudem District. According to the Veerabhadram Police, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), a magazine, and 20 rounds were recovered later. The Police also seized some books, which they claim were prohibited, and a laptop.
On the same day, the District Police arrested a cadre of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist-Janashakti (CPI-ML-Janashakti), identified as Vavilala Saikumar, from Kodimyala Mandal in Jagtial District. The Police seized one 0.32 calibre pistol, 19 bullets, two magazines, and two cell phones from his possession.
On January 5, 2019, Police arrested seven CPI-ML-Janashakti cadres, who had threatened a Government employee from Siddipet District, demanding payment of INR 1.5 million. Acting on a complaint lodged on January 2, 2019, Police tracked the movements of the accused and arrested them. Police also seized one 0.32 calibre pistol, 35 live rounds, two magazines and five mobile phones from their possession. A person (identity not disclosed) reportedly had lodged a complaint with Kuknoorpally Police stating that he was directed to pay the extortion amount and he agreed to pay only INR 50,000, to which the accused agreed, and asked him to pay the amount to one D. Malla Goud, who was one among the seven arrested. The other six persons arrested were identified as M. Lakshmi Narasimha, Y. Ramulu, V. Santosh, G. Mahender, R. Rajashekar and A. Mallesham Goud.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 11 Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists] have been arrested in 2019, (data till February 10). During the corresponding period of 2018, at least 18 Naxalites had been arrested. The total number of such arrests through 2018 stood at 62. In 2017, 75 Naxalites had been arrested in Telangana.
Though no Naxalite has surrendered in the current year (data till February 10, 2019), during the corresponding period of 2018, at least two Naxalites had surrendered before the Police. A total of at least 10 such surrenders had been recorded through 2018, in addition to 23 such surrenders in 2017, according to SATP data.
Meanwhile, SFs killed one Naxalite in 2018 in addition to 11 killed in 2017. On July 24, 2018, a CPI-Maoist ‘divisional committee’ member and in-charge of Cherla-Shabari area, identified as Arun (30), was killed in an encounter with the Police in the forest area of Cherla Mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem District. Arun was involved in more than 10 crimes, including three killings and landmine blasts, and carried a reward of INR 400,000 on his head. The Police recovered a .303 Rifle and four kit bags from the encounter spot. Since, the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014, the State has recorded a total of 16 Naxalite deaths: one in 2018, 11 in 2017, one in 2016, two in 2015, and one in 2014.
Significantly, SFs have not suffered any loss through 2018, as well as 2017. In fact, since the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014, no SF losses have been recorded, demonstrating clear SF dominance the State.
The security situation in the State remained unsurprisingly peaceful through 2018. Two civilian fatalities were recorded through the year. On September 10, 2018, CPI-Maoist cadres killed a tribal farmer, identified as Irpa Venkateswarlu (52) of Kurnavalli village, in the Kurnavalli Forest area in Bhadradri Kothagudem District. The Maoists left a note near Venkateswarlu’s body, claiming he was a ‘Police informer’. On January 27, 2018, CPI-Maoist cadres killed a former Maoist cadre and injured another, suspecting them of being ‘Police informers’, in the Bhadradri Kothagudem District. The killing of civilians after branding them ‘Police informers’ clearly indicates that the Maoists are getting increasingly wary of their declining prowess in the region, which was once their principal stronghold.
The State had also registered two civilian fatalities in 2017, both alleged ‘Police informers.’ Since the formation of the State, at least eight civilians have been killed by the Naxalites, out of which seven were accused of being ‘Police informers,’ while one person was killed by the Naxalites as they nursed a grudge against the deceased, reportedly for seeking the help of the CPI-ML-New Democracy-Chandranna faction to resolve an internal issue in his village.
Some indicators, nevertheless, suggest a struggle for a Naxalite revival in the State. According to SATP data, the Naxalites triggered at least three landmine blasts in 2018, as against none in 2017. One incident of arson was registered in 2018, in addition to another in 2017. The Maoists issued bandh (total shut down) calls on two occasions in 2018, in addition to one such call through 2017.
Significantly, no major incident (involving three or more fatalities) was recorded through 2018, as against one in 2017. On December 14, 2017, at least eight cadres of the Chandra Pulla Reddy Bata faction of the Communist Party of India–Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML, Chandra Pulla Reddy Bata faction) were killed in an encounter with the Police in the Mellamadugu forest area under the Tekulapally Mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem District.
However, despite the CPI-Maoist’s October 16, 2018, call for a boycott of the Telangana Assembly elections, at least 73.20 percent polling was recorded. According to a November 1, 2018, report, in a letter issued in the name of Sabitha, ‘secretary’ of the CPI-Maoist ‘Yeturru Nagaram – Mahadevpur Committee’, asked people to confront and question the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders who come to them asking for votes.
The State held single phase Election on December 7, 2018. K. Chandrashekar Rao, who was the Chief Minister at the time of election, returned to power after declaration of the results on December 11, 2018. The TRS, led by Rao, bagged 88 seats, followed by the Indian National Congress (INC), with 19 seats; All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), seven seats; Telugu Desam Party (TDP), two seats; and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and Independents (IND), one seat each. In the previous election held in 2014, Telangana had recorded a turnout of 68.9 percent.
The ruling TRS also won the Gram Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) elections, bagging 60 per cent of the Panchayats. Of the 12,750 Gram Panchayats, candidates supported by the ruling TRS won in over 7,600 Panchayats; INC backed candidates won in about 2,700 Panchayats. Others, including BJP and TDP, shared the remaining villages. On January 1, 2019, the State Election Commission (SEC) had announced the Gram Panchayat elections to be held in three phases – on January 21, 25, and 30, 2019 – in the State. This was Telangana’s first Gram Panchayat election since its bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
Geographically, all LWE-linked fatalities in 2018 remained confined to Bhadradri-Kothagudem. In 2017, all but one civilian fatality (reported from Khammam District), were reported from Bhadradri-Kothagudem District. Telangana has a total of 31 Districts. Unsurprisingly, on August 1, 2018, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) identified Bhadradri-Kothagudem as one among 30 ‘worst Maoist-affected’ Districts across seven States in the country. Further, on April 16, 2018, UMHA also disclosed that the number of Maoist-affected Districts covered under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme (SRE) had decreased from 126 in 10 States to 90 in 11 States. Eight of these 90 Districts were in Telangana: Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jayashankar-Bhupalpally, Khammam, Komaram-Bheem, Mancherial, Peddapalle, and Warangal Rural.
On December 31, 2018, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M. Mahendar Reddy disclosed that the CPI-Maoist Telangana State Committee was operating with 82 underground cadres, of which 18 were from Telangana State and the remaining from Chhattisgarh. A total of 126 CPI-Maoist underground cadres hail from Telangana. Out of 17 ‘Central Committee (CC) Members’, at least 10 are from Telangana, and they are all operating from outside the State.
Clearly, the Maoist threat is not completely over, despite overwhelming gains registered by the Security Forces. In addition to steps taken over the last several years, the State also initiated a number of new programmes in 2018. According to a November 14, 2018, report, the State Police has coined a new slogan ‘Samacharam Maku… Bahumathi Meeku’ [give us information (about the Maoists) and take huge cash as a reward]. Posters printed with the slogan, with photographs of 12 CPI-Maoist ‘action team members’ and phone numbers of Police officials of various ranks have been put up on the walls across the State. The Telangana Police also continued to maintain vigil on the borders with Chhattisgarh to prevent Maoists from entering the State.
There are, nevertheless, some areas of neglect. At least 16,044 Police posts were vacant in the State as on January 1, 2017, against a sanctioned strength of 63,064 – a deficit of 25.44 per cent – according to the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). Moreover, against the sanctioned strength of the apex Indian Police Service (IPS) Officers in the State at 139, just 97 were in position, considerably weakening decision-making in the Force. The police-population ratio (Policemen per hundred thousand population) in the State was 130.71 per 100,000, even lower than the appallingly low national average of 137.11 [over 220 Policemen per 100,000 population are considered necessary even for ‘peacetime policing’], according to BPR&D, as on January 1, 2016 [Disaggregated data of population/area for Andhra Pradesh & Telangana not available for 2017].
Maoists will continue with their effort to engineer a revival in their erstwhile areas of dominance in Telangana, the worst affected region at one time in united Andhra Pradesh. The State leadership has kept up the pressure on the rebels, but with the surviving concentrations of LWE activity arrayed along its border, Telangana can afford no measure of complacency.
Elusive Justice Ajit Kumar Singh Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
The House of Representatives, lower house of Federal Parliament, on February 6, 2019, endorsed the bill to amend The Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2071 (2014) . The Amendment allowed the Government to extend the tenure of the two Commissions – Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) – by one year with provisions to extend the tenure by another one year. However, the tenure of the present members of the two Commissions was extended only till April 13, 2019. The National Assembly, upper house Federal Parliament, had already passed the amendment on January 4, 2019.
The two Commissions – TRC and CIEDP – were constituted by the February 10, 2015, decision of the Government of Nepal, in accordance with the 2014 Act. The Commissions were formed to probe instances of serious violations of human rights and to determine the status of those who disappeared in the course of the armed conflict between the State and the then Communist Party of Nepal–Maoist (CPN-Maoist), between February 13, 1996, and November 21, 2006, the day of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 2006. The Commissions were formed with a two-year mandate, but received two extensions, and the second extension was due to come to an end on February 10, 2019. Despite the passage of time, according to reports, TRC has completed preliminary investigations into barely 2,800 among the 63,000 cases filed, and is yet to complete a detailed probe into a single case. The CIEDP, which received some 3,000 complaints, has completed preliminary investigation into some 500, but has failed to launch a single detailed investigation.
Not surprisingly, provisions in the new Bill allow the Government to restructure the two commissions after April 13, 2019.
Demanding reforms in the existing TRC and CIEDP, a 23-point Charter of Conflict Victims adopted by the Conflict Victims Common Platform (CVCP), an umbrella body of 13 organizations advocating justice for war-era victims, had stated on November 21, 2018,
Issues under the purview of these two Commissions have the potential to threaten the long established peace in the country.
Meanwhile, Nepal did not witness any insurgency related fatalities in 2018, maintaining the trend established way back in 2013. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the country recorded 11 fatalities (10 civilians and one Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, JTMM, cadre) in six incidents in 2012. At its peak in 2002, the insurgency saw 4,896 persons, including 3,992 Maoists, 666 Security Force personnel and 238 civilians, killed in a single year.
However, Nepal continues to experience political turmoil and violence since 2012. According to partial data compiled by SATP, at least two civilians were killed and 51 persons, including 47 civilians and four SF personnel, have been injured in violent clashes across the country through 2018. A member of the Tarun Dal, youth wing of Nepali Congress (NC), Rohit Pun, was shot dead in Rolpa District on September 9, 2018. The assailant opened fire at Pun when he reached Sulichaur to inaugurate Pandeswori Transport Private Limited. Dev Bahadur Ghartimagar, considered close to the Nepal Communist Party, was arrested along with a weapon, for his involvement in the killing.
18 persons, including 17 civilians and one SF trooper, were killed and another 175, including 156 civilians and 19 SF personnel, were injured, through 2017. In 2016, six persons, including five civilians and one SF trooper, were killed and another 16, including 13 civilians and three SF personnel, were injured in violent clashes. In 2015, at least 57 persons, including 38 civilians and 19 SF personnel were killed and another 700, including 544 civilians and 156 SF personnel, were injured in violent protests. The successful holding of elections for the second Constituent Assembly (CA) on November 19, 2013, in some measure, transformed the political environment of the country and diminished violent inter-party clashes. As against 22 such clashes resulting in four deaths and 167 injuries in 2013, no such clashes were reported through 2014. There were four such incidents resulting in seven injuries and no fatalities in 2012.
Indeed, the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff Purna Chandra Thapa, on September 9, 2018, noted that some of the ‘elements’ that did not lend support to the Constitution promulgated in September 2015, had shown signs of fomenting trouble to destabilise the country. “These elements are working against national interest, albeit their activities are being closely monitored. The state is doing all it can to resolve this problem,” Thapa stated.
Meanwhile, in the latest incident, on February 7, 2019, an unidentified group exploded three improvised explosive devices near the powerhouse of the under-construction Arun III Hydro Power Project, which is being developed with India's assistance, in Sankhuwasabha District. Rameshwor Pandit, Police Inspector of the District, disclosed, “A total of three bombs exploded at the power plant of the hydel project located in Pukhuwa of Chichila Rural Municipality-03 of the District. The group behind the blast is yet to be identified.”
On a positive note, in a historic development, on May 17, 2018, two major national Left political parties – the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-Maoist Center) – at a joint meeting held at Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli’s residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, announced their merger and the formation of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). This historic unification created a single political party with a strong hold in Parliament and over Provincial Governments in six of the country’s seven Provinces. NCP now has 174 members in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR), 42 members in the 59-member National Assembly (NA), and a majority in six of the seven Provincial Assemblies. This move also created the nation's first majority Government in 19 years.
Significantly, in the aftermath of the two-phase House of Representative (HoR) and Provincial Assembly (PA) elections held on November 26, 2017, and December 7, 2017, Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal (the chief of the erstwhile CPN-Maoist-Centre) during a meeting in Kathmandu on December 15, 2017, had agreed to initiate the processes of forming a new Government and simultaneously unifying their parties. The two parties had swept the elections and later, on February 15, 2018, Oli was sworn in as the 41st Prime Minister of Nepal. The Nepali Congress Party's Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was the Prime Minister during the elections, resigned nearly two months after the polls, as there was confusion whether the new Prime Minister should be elected prior to the formation of the National Assembly, the upper house of Parliament. The National Assembly was formed on March 4, 2018.
Kathmandu has done exceedingly well to sustain the environment of peace established since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2006. To cement the peace, it is imperative for the Government to take all necessary measures to deliver justice to victims of war crimes, as the mere extension of the terms of TRC and the CIEDP will not meet the aspirations of the victims and their families.
There is, however, very little hope that justice will be delivered. It is pertinent to recall that Oli, in his first term as the premier – October 2015 to August 2016 – did little to prioritize justice for war crimes due to the fear that doing so could lead to the prosecution of coalition partners and the collapse of the Government. Though the two parties – CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Center – have merged, actions against members of erstwhile CPN-Maoist-Center, who were primarily responsible for war crimes, will have the potential to destabilise the Government and provoke violence.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia February 4-10, 2019
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
Terrorists/Insurgents
Total
INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir
INDIA (Left-Wing Extremism)
Chhattisgarh
Maharashtra
INDIA (Total)
No plan on troop withdrawal, states US Forces Spokesman: There is no plan on either to withdraw or reduce the number of US forces in Afghanistan, a spokesman for US forces, Colonel David Butler said, adding that they will continue their support to their Afghan counterparts to thwart threats against Afghanistan and the United States, even after a political agreement with the Taliban. "No, there is no program for leaving Afghanistan," Butler stated. Tolo News, February 11, 2019.
Government ready to open Taliban office in Afghanistan, states Afghan President Ashraf Ghan: President Ashraf Ghani, on February 10, said the Afghan Government is ready to allow the Taliban to open an office in Kabul, Kandahar or Nangarhar. Ghani said "a sustainable peace and a peace with dignity" will come to the country and for this, he is ready to even sacrifice his life. "We want peace in Mecca. Is that satisfactory or Moscow?" asked Ghani. Tolo News, February 11, 2019.
Delegates say Moscow Talks were a success, according to report: Delegates who attended the Moscow (Russia) peace talks said the meeting was satisfying and successful and they hope that the continuation of such initiatives will lead to lasting peace. The delegates told that they had fruitful talks and reached agreements on many issues and hope to reach more agreements at future talks. Tolo News, February 8, 2019.
No deal excluding Afghan govt to be enforced, states Afghan President Ashraf Ghani: President Ashraf Ghani has made clear on February 5, that Afghan politicians attending the Moscow, Russia, conference do not have executive power and are not officially representing the country. The involvement of his administration as the decision-maker was a must, said the President, whose government has so far been excluded from talks between Taliban and the US. As Afghan opposition politicians, including Hamid Karzai, met Taliban representatives in Moscow, the President said: "At the end of any peace deal, the decision-maker will be the government of Afghanistan." Pajhwok Afghan News, February 7, 2019.
Constructive talks underway with Afghan groups including Taliban, states US President Trump: The United States (US) President Donald Trump has said his Administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban in Afghanistan. Trump said "I have also accelerated our negotiations to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan. Our troops have fought with unmatched valor - and thanks to their bravery, we are now able to pursue a political solution to this long and bloody conflict." The Khaama Press, February 6, 2019.
One of regional countries is seeking to turn Afghanistan into a puppet state, states Chief Executive Abdullah: The Chief Executive of the Unity Government Abdullah Abdullah said that one of the regional countries is seeking to turn Afghanistan into a puppet state. Abdullah said "Is there a country in the region that to see its interests in persistent war in Afghanistan? Is it the international community that seeks persistent war? Unfortunately, one of the regional countries want a puppet government or the country be ruled by a weak government." The Khaama Press, January 29, 2019.
Over 900 lives lost to Afghan conflict in January 2019, says report: Over 900 people were killed in violence in Afghanistan in January 2019. The report citing different sources show 986 people were killed and 839 others injured in 29 of the country's 34 provinces in January. In December, 2018, at least 1,121 people lost their lives and 475 others wounded during 140 different attacks, compared 131 attacks in January. Pajhwok Afghan News, January 29, 2019.
Bangladesh wants 'safe haven' for Rohingyas in Rakhine: Bangladesh wants a 'safe haven' for the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Rakhine state by ensuring their safe, secured and dignified repatriation under the monitoring of India, China and other ASEAN nations. 'We want a safe haven for the Rohingya people in Myanmar's Rakhine state and that haven has to be monitored by India, China and other ASEAN nations -As China and India are friendly to Myanmar, it may accept this proposal,' said Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen. NDTV, February 10, 2019.
Bangladesh has been able to control terrorism and militancy, says PM Sheikh Hasina: Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, on February 5, termed terrorism and militancy as a worldwide problem, and said her Government has been able to control both of them. She also added that 'But we will have to continue our drives against militancy and terrorism, and we should have a strategy to thwart any possible militant attacks promptly, while increasing intelligence surveillance and training'. The PM also praised Police in rooting out terrorism and militancy. Dhaka Tribune, February 6, 2019.
Around 450 terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir, says Army: The Army on February 7 said 450 terrorists were operating in Jammu and Kashmir and the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) was intact with the full support of Pakistan as 16 terrorist camps were operating in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). "The number of terrorists is more on the north of Pir Panjal. Around 350 to 400 terrorists are active in the Kashmir valley. On the south of Pir Panjal (the Jammu region), there are 50 terrorists," Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said. The New Indian Express, February 8, 2019.
At least 33 Pakistani militants crossed into India from Punjab and Jammu, states NIA report: National Investigation Agency (NIA) report state that at least 33 alleged Pakistani terrorists have crossed into India from the Punjab and Samba-Kathua sectors in Jammu &Kashmir since October 2017. The NIA report suggests that the terrorists may have infiltrated through the same sector that the attackers, who carried out the Pathankot Air Base attack and the Nagrota Army camp attack had used. ThePrint, February 7, 2019.
LeT 'chief' issues threat to India: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) 'chief' Hafiz Saeed issued a threat to Indian claiming that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan may pave the path for the entry of Taliban in Jammu and Kashmir. The LeT leader is said to have claimed that if the US troops pull out of Afghanistan, the Taliban could make a move to 'take over' the country. Saeed said that in such a situation, Taliban could use Afghanistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as launchpads to enter Jammu and Kashmir. TimesNow, February 6, 2019.
TuM declared terrorist organisation by GoI: A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson stated on January 31 that it would participate in “all formats of talks” on discussing a solution for peace in Afghanistan. India said it hoped the Afghan presidential elections would be held as per schedule. The Asian Age, February 1, 2019.
Incidents of terrorist violence see rise in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018, says Government of India: Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the maximum number of terror violence incidents in 2018 as compared to the four years before that, whereas such incidents in the country's north east and Naxal [Left Wing Extremism]-hit areas saw a marginal drop in the same comparative period, the Government of India told the Parliament on February 5. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir furnished a statement in the Lok Sabha (Lower house of Parliament) on a question related to details of terrorist, insurgent and extremist incidents that took place in the country between 2014 and 2018. Daily Excelsior, February 6, 2019.
Government committed to complete NRC, states Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh: Minister Rajnath Singh stated that Government is committed to complete the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam within the stipulated time and ensure that neither any Indian national's name is excluded nor any foreigner's name included in the final NRC. Singh said the Home Ministry has made available necessary funds and resources to the State government so that the NRC work is completed in a time-bound and impartial manner. The Assam Tribune, February 6, 2019.
191 Kashmir youth joined militancy in 2018, says official: As many as 191 local youth joined various militant outfits in Jammu and Kashmir last year (2018), 65 more than 2017, a senior army official said on February 4. The new recruits mostly hailed from the restive southern Kashmir region, he said. In 2017, 126 locals had joined militant ranks, the official said. The southern Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag have become a "breeding ground for militants" with many youths joining their rank and file, the official said, adding that Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) find more recruits. Greater Kashmir, February 5, 2019.
Lower House passes bill to amend 2014 Act: The House of Representatives on February 6, endorsed the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2014. Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal presented the bill in the House for endorsement. The National Assembly has already passed the amendment. The bill extends the tenure of members of two Transitional Justice (TJ) commissions till April 13 and the tenure of the commissions by one year with provisions to extend the tenure by another one year. The extended tenure of the two commissions formed in February 2015 is expiring on February 9. The Himalayan Times, February 7, 2019.
Pakistan freed Baradar at US request, says US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad: United States special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on February 8 said that Pakistan had released Taliban leader Mullah Baradar at his request to help expedite the Afghan peace talks. Speaking at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, Zalmay Khalilzad acknowledged that the US and the Taliban had reached a framework agreement in Doha last month, but more talks were needed for reaching a conclusion. Zalmay Khalilzad, in response to a question on Pakistan's role, said that Islamabad had played a constructive role and released Mullah Baradar "at my request". Dawn, February 9, 2019.
Pakistan playing central role in US-Taliban talks, says report: United States officials and Taliban sources have told Reuters that Pakistan has begun to play a behind-the-scenes but central role in supporting US peace talks with the Afghan Taliban, including by facilitating travel to negotiations. The Pakistani assistance, which has not been reported in such detail before, also includes exerting pressure on Taliban leaders who fail to cooperate, including by detaining members of the militants' families, the insurgents say. Daily Times, February 9, 2019.
Stay away from politics, act within law; Supreme Court to armed forces and ISI: Supreme Court on February 6 prohibited members of the armed forces from engaging in political activities and directed state agencies like the ISI to operate within the law as it ordered the Government to act against those propagating "hatred, extremism and terrorism". The order by a two-member bench of the apex court came while delivering a verdict on the 2017 Faizabad sit-in by the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other smaller groups". The Times of India, February 7, 2019.
Bones of 26 children recovered from 'Mannar mass grave', says officials: Senior officials in charge of excavation of 'Mannar mass grave' in Mannar District of Northern Province on February 6 said that so far of the skeletal remains found, 26 were of children. By February 6, experts have so far unearthed skeletal remains belonging to 312 persons and 297 of them were removed from the grave for further investigations. Recently, selected samples were sent to a United States (US) testing facility for carbon testing. On site Judicial Medical Officer Saminda Rajapaka said that results would be available within one week. The Island , January 28, 2019.
President Maithripala Sirisena strongly opposes the idea of a National Government:Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on February 4 declared that he strongly opposes the idea of the proposed National Government. Addressing the nation at the 71st National Independence Day celebrations in Colombo on February 4 the President said the proposed National Government is simply an attempt to increase the number of cabinet ministers and provide privileges to the ministers at the people's expense. Colombo Page, February 5, 2019.
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.
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