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Hazara tapestries smuggled past Taliban displayed in NZ

For almost a decade Khadim’s studio was a platform for the exchange of ideas and thoughts, as well as producing art…reports Asian Lite News

To preserve the art and culture of Afghanistan, three tapestries made by Hazara artist Khadim Ali were smuggled under the nose of the Taliban are now being displayed in a New Plymouth art gallery in New Zealand.

The tapestries are not small pieces of art. The largest of the three measures over nine metres by four metres, covered an incredible journey, spanning nearly 14,000 kilometres and involving an extremely fraught border crossing, reported NZ Herald.

All three tapestries made their way to Quetta before they went on to Australia before the final step of their journey to New Zealand for the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery exhibition of Khadim’s work, “There Is No Other Home But This.”

Their journey is incredible, and so too is the artistic journey of their creator, Khadim Ali.

He had set up a studio in Dasht-e-Barchi in western Kabul, visiting it often from his home in Australia. He employed some local artisans as his assistants who worked from the studio along with some local women who would work from home on looms.

For almost a decade Khadim’s studio was a platform for the exchange of ideas and thoughts, as well as producing art.

Then the Taliban came back. Under Taliban law, art is forbidden, says Khadim, reported NZ Herald.

“A lot of art was discarded, as we know the Taliban hate all art, they oppose all picture making, anything like that, so much was discarded or destroyed. It had to be, it was a matter of life or death for the artists. I didn’t want any of them to get killed because of what they did,” said Khadim.

Considering the dangers his artworks will face under the Taliban, his team organized some of the tapestries out of Afghanistan, reported NZ Herald.

His team were in the process of organising some of the tapestries to be sent to Australia but before that happened, the Taliban entered Kabul, reported NZ Herald.

“The chaos started. People were running for their lives, trying to get out. My assistants were going to try to get over the border to Pakistan and they had the idea to take the tapestries with them disguised as cushions,” said Khadim.

While now Hazari make up under 20 per cent of the population of Afghanistan, they were once the largest Afghan ethnic group, constituting nearly two-thirds of the total population of the country before the 19th century.

It is estimated more than half of the Hazari population were massacred, forced to flee or taken into slavery during the 1891-93 Hazara War. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran slams Bajwa, hails Indian Army

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Turkmenistan recognises Taliban-appointed Afghan envoy

The inauguration ceremony of the new Taliban-led Afghan ambassador Fazil-Mohammad Saber took place in Ashgabat last Thursday….reports Asian Lite News

Turkmenistan becomes the first country in Central Asia to accept a Taliban-appointed Afghanistan ambassador, since the Taliban regime took over Kabul in August 2021.

Taking to Twitter, Farangis Najibullah, a Tajik-American journalist for Radio Free Europe, wrote, “Turkmenistan becomes 1st country in Central Asia to accept Taliban-appointed Afghanistan ambassador.”

The inauguration ceremony of the new Taliban-led Afghan ambassador Fazil-Mohammad Saber took place in Ashgabat last Thursday, Fergana news agency quoted. Turkmenistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hajiyev attended the ceremony to mark the inauguration of the new ambassador.

Following the Taliban takeover in August last year, thousands of Afghans left the country fearing reprisal from the Islamic group.

The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power in August last year.

Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated. The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media.

Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system.

National flag removed

The removal of Afghanistans national flag colours from the logo of National Radio Television (NRT) has sparked strong public reaction, Pajhwok News reported.

In line with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) leadership direction, the national flag colours had been removed from NRT logo and replaced with white colours that represent the IEA flag’s colour.

The IEA leadership also objected to Arabic style clothing of some newscasters and urged the use of Afghani style outfits.

After the IEA letter, the national flag’s three brand colours were removed from the NRT logo and replaced with white colour, sparking public outrage and anger.

Former NRT Director Mohammad Ismael Miakhel said, “Taliban converted Afghanistan into the cemetery of values and customs, today they removed the national flag from NRT logo and tomorrow they will remove it from the Cricket Board. Taliban damages themselves by doing so,” the report said.

Former Nangarhar Governor, Zia Ul Haq Amarkhel, wrote on his Facebook page, “The government should select priorities and refrain from action that causes a gap between government and masses and harms national unity. In fact, the national flag doesn’t belong to any specific party but it represents the entire Afghan nation and all are bound to respect and protect it.”

ALSO READ: Bilawal says Imran favoured Modi during 2019 polls

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Pak media challenge Imran to prove ‘scandalous allegations’

If these allegations cannot be proved “within a reasonable time”, the committee reserves the right to approach the judiciary for relief….reports Asian Lite News

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Pakistani media has challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan to prove his “scandalous allegations” that media houses have been bought by political parties and some were being funded by foreign sources, Dawn reported.

Khan made these allegations in a public address on Sunday.

In a statement, the JAC said the Prime Minister’s statements amount to accusing the media of corruption.

If these allegations cannot be proved “within a reasonable time”, the committee reserves the right to approach the judiciary for relief, it warned.

It requested Khan not to make such statements for “political point scoring”.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also sought an apology from the Prime Minister over the allegation that media houses were receiving funds for “anti-government campaigns”.

In a statement, PFUJ president Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi expressed outrage over the “baseless remarks”, saying “it is surprising the head of the government is using a public forum for spreading unfoun­ded allegations agai­nst the media and the journalist fraternity instead of ordering an investigation”.

They urged Khan to order an inquiry through the FIA or a judicial commission ins­tead of spreading “fake news”.

Imran Khan must resign over illegal foreign funding: Maryam Nawaz

Maryam Nawaz warns Imran

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz told Pakistan Prime Minister that his “game is over now”, Dawn reported.

“Your electoral prospects in the wake of inflation and lack of governance are bleak. You know you have lost the game and the upcoming elections.”

Maryam said that every party goes through “these phases” but none ever used foul language the way Imran Khan did. “You ridicule opponents. You oppose Maulana Fazlur Rehman. You mimic Bilawal.”

And, the PML-N leader went on, the Pakistani Prime Minister looks like a joker while he’s at it, Dawn reported.

“I urge people not to let their children watch such speeches,” Maryam said, stressing that despite facing several injustices Nawaz Sharif never “let go of his moral principles”.

Talking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court, she slammed the premier for bad-mouthing the opposition in his speeches. “I have heard his speeches and he sounds like a defeated man (in them).”

“Four years are sufficient to show the performance of a person. Imran Khan should know that people have shown him the red card.”

Referring to the no-confidence motion, she called it karma for the Pakistan Prime Minister.

“You had called out Nawaz’s politics. Today, the same Nawaz has beaten you by entering your homes while sitting abroad. Now, you are the one paying visits to people with one or two seats”, Dawn reported.

ALSO READ: Imran slams Bajwa, hails Indian Army

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Imran slams Bajwa, hails Indian Army

There are reports that Imran Khan was “adviced” by the Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt General Nadeem Anjum to step down after the OIC meeting…reports Asian Lite News

The Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is angry and frustrated with his “master” the Pakistani military establishment as it has refused to bail him out at a time when he is facing a crucial no-confidence motion against his government, in what is shaping up to be his toughest test since coming to power in 2018. The establishment has also asked Khan to “resign” as he has lost majority in the parliament.

“I salute India. India’s foreign Policy is better than Pakistan’s, they work for their people, the Indian army is not corrupt and they never interfere in civilian govt” Imran Khan said in a public meeting on Sunday without mentioning the name of Pakistani army.

Pakistani observers see Khan’s statement as a dig at the Pakistani military establishment which controls the country’s foreign policy and the civilian government. Three years ago, it was the Pakistani army or military establishment, rigging the elections in favour of Imran Khan, to head the “hybrid” regime. But now, the army generals have realised that their “Project Imran” have failed miserably and decided to “dump” him.

“The army is not neutral..it has never been. Though they claim to be neutral, it’s the army who are helping the opposition against Imran Khan and Imran Khan is unable to digest this fact that his benefactors have ditched him,” says one Pakistani watcher.

There are reports that Imran Khan was “adviced” by the Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt General Nadeem Anjum to step down after the OIC meeting without further escalating the matter.

“While Khan complained to Bajwa about his “neutrality,” the army chief is reported to have advised him to follow the Constitution and act responsibly”, said one insider referring to the meeting which took place on Friday.

But Imran Khan is in no mood to listen and has decided to take the fight to the streets. He has asked “millions” of supporters to reach to the Pakistan National Assembly on March 27, a day before the no-confidence motion against him will be tabled in the assembly.

“I want all records of public attendance to be broken, to fight for the soul of Pakistan. We stand with what is right and condemn such shameless buying of politicians’ souls by political mafias to protect their looted wealth,” he said in his tweet.

Imran Khan has also warned his “deserted” parliamentarians, of dire consequences.

“You will not be able to attend public gatherings and no one will marry your children when they grow up,” Khan asserted. “I am just like a father figure to you all. But for God’s sake, don’t make such a big mistake by joining hands with the corrupt Opposition. Think about your children’s future.”

Khan is still hoping that the “divine” power of Allah will come to rescue him.

“Allah is watching this and bad people will not go unpunished,” he tweeted.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: No-trust motion: Pak opposition accuses Imran of playing religious card

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Lankan inflation hits new high

The higher inflation for the month of February 2022 was mainly due to the higher price levels in both food and non-food categories…reports Asian Lite News

Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics announced that the overall rate of inflation for February 2022, as measured by National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) on year-on-year basis, stood at 17.5 per cent, the highest since 2015.

The NCPI has weights based on consumer spending in the 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Survey and reflects new methods consistent with the best international practices, reports Xinhua news agency.

Inflation calculated for January 2022 was 16.8 per cent.

The higher inflation for the month of February 2022 was mainly due to the higher price levels in both food and non-food categories.

The year-on-year inflation of the food category increased to 24.7 per cent in February 2022 from 24.4 per cent in January 2022, and that of the non-food group rose to 11 per cent in February 2022 from 10.2 per cent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, battered by “worst-ever” financial crisis since independence, Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has talked to the international financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other countries on loan repayment.

In a special address to the nation on Wednesday night, President Rajapaksa said that talks have been started with IMF to find a way to pay off annual loan instalments and sovereign bonds.

“Subsequent to my discussions with the IMF, I have decided to work with them after examining the advantages and disadvantages,” the President said in the address which was telecast on all television stations in the country. Going to the IMF was a complete reversal from his government’s earlier stance.

In his speech President Rajapaksa vowed to take “tough” decisions to solve the inconveniences faced by people and said that a National Economic Council and an Advisory Committee have been appointed find ways to overcome the financial crisis.

South Asian island-nation’s debt ridden economy suffers with a severe food, fuel, power, transportation and medicine shortages with long queues at fuel stations, gas stations and hours of daily power cuts.

ALSO READ: Bilawal says Imran favoured Modi during 2019 polls

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Outrage after Taliban removes Afghan national flag colours from NRT logo

The removal of Afghanistan’s national flag colours from the logo of National Radio Television (NRT) has sparked a strong public reaction, Pajhwok News reported…reports Asian Lite News

In line with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) leadership direction, the national flag colours had been removed from NRT logo and replaced with white colours that represent the IEA flag’s colour.

The IEA leadership also objected to Arabic style clothing of some newscasters and urged the use of Afghani style outfits.

After the IEA letter, the national flag’s three brand colours were removed from the NRT logo and replaced with white colour, sparking public outrage and anger.

Former NRT Director Mohammad Ismael Miakhel said, “Taliban converted Afghanistan into the cemetery of values and customs, today they removed the national flag from NRT logo and tomorrow they will remove it from the Cricket Board. Taliban damages themselves by doing so,” the report said.

ALSO READ: Afghan diaspora in US protests against Taliban

Former Nangarhar Governor, Zia Ul Haq Amarkhel, wrote on his Facebook page, “The government should select priorities and refrain from action that causes a gap between government and masses and harms national unity. In fact, the national flag doesn’t belong to any specific party but it represents the entire Afghan nation and all are bound to respect and protect it.”

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Baloch armed groups keeping Pak army on tenterhooks

The Baloch people under the leadership of Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai led a nationalist uprising against Pakistan in 1948 and since then there have been six armed freedom movements in the region, writes Mark Kinra

With time taking its toll on memory, fewer people are aware that Balochistan was an independent country for almost 9 months before it was illegally colonised by Pakistan on 27 March 1948. The Baloch people under the leadership of Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai led a nationalist uprising against Pakistan in 1948 and since then there have been six armed freedom movements in the region.

The current flare-up in the region with many attacks on Pakistani armed forces has been termed as the sixth armed freedom movement which is a direct result of the consequences of fifth armed movement which led to the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti on 26 August 2006 under the then president Pervez Musharraf’s rule. The fifth armed movement can be attributed to two reasons namely–rape of a female doctor by a Captain of Pakistani Army at Sui Gas facility, where she was employed, and the rejection of a 15-point agenda by Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Mir Balach Marri, who wanted Balochistan to have more control over its resources.

In the first case, Pakistan sided with its Captain, pronouncing him not-guilty and in the second one Pakistan rejected all demands over Balochistan resources, which led to strong armed backlash between the Baloch and the Pakistani Army, which resulted in the killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. This ignited calls for an independent Baloch nation and led to the formation of various armed organizations and catapulting Baloch youth towards an armed struggle against Pakistan.

The initial freedom movement was started by the members of Ahmedzai royal family and tribal chiefs like Marris and Bugtis but now even educated people and the common man, who were earlier content with following the tribal chiefs, are now taking up the mantle of freedom movement and becoming new leaders of the national struggle for independence.

The following groups are currently carrying out armed insurrection against Pakistan:

Balochistan Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS) – It is an umbrella organization which was created in 2018 comprising Balochistan Liberation Army, Baloch Liberation Army-Bashir Zeb and Balochistan Republican Guards. Later on, BRA (Gulzar Imam group) and UBA (Sarfaraz Bangulzai group) too joined BRAS showing its potential as a magnet among the spread-out Baloch organisations. Importantly, the Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA) is also part BRAS.

BRAS is said to have brought together people from the middle class who were not part of the Baloch tribal leadership. The creation of BRAS shows that the Baloch people are becoming more united in their approach towards armed rebellion against Pakistan. BRAS has also led the Baloch armed groups to strategize their operations against Pakistan. The latest example of this is the devastating BLA twin attack on the Panjgur and Nuskhi Frontier Corps (FC) camps, where the BLA stated that the operation was supported by the allied organizations of BRAS.

Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – It is said the BLA was created in 1999 under the leadership of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Mir Balaach Marri and Brahamdagh Bugti. The coming together of the Marri-Bugti tribes was due to a friendship pact but later the Bugtis parted ways. The BLA is an ethno-nationalist organization working towards achieving the goal of a United Balochistan (parts of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan). According to an anonymous Baloch human rights activist living-in-exile, BLA derives its strength from all over Balochistan but is most powerful in Marri areas such as Mach, Harnai, Nasserabad, Jaffarabad, Loralai, Quetta and Awaran.

ALSO READ: There will be surprises for Pakistan: Baloch leader

From 2003-13, there were about 15,000 members in Marri areas. Today there are around 200-300 active members, while overall numbers are thousands in the tribal areas. The BLA receives local support while most weapons come from Afghanistan and Pashtoon areas of Balochistan. Also, some sections of Afghans did support the BLA but they have used them as proxies for their own benefits. The Baloch human rights activist states that after 2016, India stopped all support to the Baloch freedom movement which was initiated in the Vajpayee era. Initially, the BLA was involved in the killing of civilians, which was mostly in retaliation, but later recused itself from targeting civilians and its focus is only on Pakistan’s armed forces.

The BLA has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, the UK and Pakistan, which alleges that Hyrbyair Marri is the leader of the group while the BLA has never disclosed its leader. BLA’s spokesperson is Azad Baloch.

On 14 Dec 2005, BLA members tried to assassinate then President Pervez Musharraf, who was visiting a paramilitary camp in Kohlu. Musharraf was unharmed. On 13 June 2013, BLA also fired rockets at the summer house of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Balochistan Liberation Army (Bashir Zeb Group) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana states that Aslam Baloch after having grievances against the BLA leadership formed a splinter organization of the same name in 2013. After Aslam Baloch was killed in a suicide attack in Kandahar in 2018, the leadership was taken over by Bashir Zeb. The Bashir Zeb Group enjoys local support and gets its strength from all over Balochistan but considerably from central and coastal Balochistan.

The BLA has created the ‘Majeed Brigade’, which is a suicide squad and has carried several attacks even against civilians. Majeed Brigade takes its name and inspiration from Majeed Langove, who tried to assassinate PM Bhutto in 1974, while Balochistan was suffering military operations by Pakistan. Years later in 2010, Majeed Langove Junior (brother of Majeed Langove) was killed by the Pakistani Army, while trying to save his comrades. This led Aslam Baloch to formally announce the formation of the Majeed Brigade.

After coming from exile in Afghanistan, Nawab Khair Baksh Marri used to give lectures to youth on various topics where Aslam Baloch came in contact with Nawab Marri. These gatherings later produced a group of politically charged youth who would later form BLA. It is a hearsay that Nawab Marri raised questions on the idea of Majeed Brigade during his study circles. Majeed Brigades’s first attack was on 30 Dec 2011, when they tried to target Shafeeq Mengal—a Death Squad leader.

In another attack, Rehan Baloch (son of Aslam Baloch) sacrificed himself while carrying out a suicide attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbadin. The Majeed Brigade has carried out several high-profile attacks on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, the Pearl Intercontinental hotel in Gwadar and the Karachi Stock Exchange in Karachi.

On 2 Feb 2022, the Bashir Zeb group carried out massive attacks on FC camps on Panjgur and Nushki whereby BLA memebers took hostage of army camps for 72 hours and have allegedly killed 195 soldiers.

Bashir Zeb group has time and again stated that their motherland is under occupation and they are attacking enemy interests and installations. Bashir Zeb group is also part of Balochistan Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), which is an umbrella organization of Baloch armed groups. The spokesperson of the BLA (Bashir Zeb group) is Jeeyand Baloch.

United Baloch Army (UBA) – According to several reports, it is stated that UBA was created in 2010 after an alleged rift between Hyrbyair Marri and Mehran Marri. UBA is an ethno-nationalist organization that enjoys local support and has strongholds in Kohlu, Kahaan, Bolan, Lasbela etc.

Mehran Marri has been a regular speaker at the UN in Geneva where he has time and again highlighted Pakistani human rights atrocities in Balochistan. In 2017, Mehran Marri was detained at the Zurich Airport, Switzerland, and was placed on lifetime ban for entering Switzerland on the request of Pakistan. As per various news reports, it is said Mehran Marri is currently based in the United Kingdom.

The UBA has been designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan. After the January 2022 Lahore blasts, Mehran Marri condemned the killing of civilians and advocated to continue the struggle within the parameters of International Law. Mehran Marri through his tweet is advocating the use of violence against armed personnel but in 2014 UBA was responsible for a blast in Islamabad Market which killed 24 people. UBA has also targeted trains in the past, killing several people. It has never disclosed the leader of its organization but its official spokesperson is Mazar Baloch.

United Baloch Army (Sarfaraz Bangulzai Group) – According to various reports, after having differences with the UBA leadership, Bangulzai created his group with the same name in 2020. Bangulzai has claimed that he was punished because he wanted to make UBA a part of BRAS alliance to bring more unity and solidarity among the Baloch organisations. Sarfaraz Bangulzai group is also ethno-nationalist and is working towards an independent Balochistan.

After separation, Bangulzai’s group later joined BRAS. It has recently merged with the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA). After the Lahore blasts, Bangulzai criticized comments by Mehran Marri against hitting out civilian targets, instead suggesting that their group will continue to target Pakistan interests including civilians.

Baloch Republican Army (BRA) – It was formed in 2006 in response to the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and growing resentment among Baloch over the control of Balochistan resources by Pakistan. Though the BRA doesn’t identify its leaders, however, Pakistan has alleged Brahamdagh Bugti as its leader and designated the BRA as a terrorist organization. BRA derives local support from Bugti areas like Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Loralai, and a few small pockets in Dera Bugti and southern Balochistan.

Recently, Brahamdagh Bugti condemned the Lahore blasts which targeted civilians stating there is no justification for civilian killings even if the Pakistan Army is doing the same. The spokesperson for the group is Sarbaz Baloch.

In some of its biggest attacks, on 21 April 2011, the BRA attacked a military run Frontier Works Organization camp thereby killing 11 people. On 21 Oct 2013, BRA planted bombs which derailed the Jaffar express thereby killing six people.

Baloch Republican Army (Gulzar Imam Group) – In 2018, the membership of Gulzar Imam was cancelled by BRA, after which he created his own group under the same name. The Gulzar Imam group has a considerable following in the Makran region. Imam’s BRA group later joined BRAS. Recently, Gulzar Imam group merged their group into the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA).

Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) – Human Rights activist Mehrab Baloch states that BLF was formed in early 2000’s and it gets support from all parts of Balochistan with no foreign support. Mehrab Baloch elaborates that the BLF ideology currently demands attacking anyone who supports the Pakistan Government. After the Lahore Blasts this year, Allah Nazar stated that each independence struggle is unique and the strategy will be formulated accordingly. BLF is the founding member of BRAS. Major Gwahram Baloch is the current spokesperson for the organisaton.

Pakistan has designated BLF as terrorist organization and believes that medical doctor Allah Nazar Baloch is the leader of the organization. Allah Nazar himself has risen as a student leader from the ranks of the Balochistan Student Organization-Azad which tries to bring political consciousness around Baloch issues among youth. Later on, he took over the command of the BLF. Allah Nazar was arrested for a year in 2005 but was soon released under political pressures. Allah Nazar enjoys deep support among locals due to his long association with the youth since his college days.

ALSO READ: London billboards highlight human rights situation in Balochistan

On 25 January this year, BLF members took over a security forces outpost in Dasht area of Kech district, saying that they had killed 17 soldiers, making it one of the most demotivating attacks for the Pakistani military.

Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LeB) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana says that the organization came into being in 2008 with the aim of maintaining the status of Mengal Sardars. LeB derives its support base from the Jhalawan area. Though several reports suggest that the LeB is working towards independence for Balochistan, it seems to be in dormant state and not much activity has been seen from the group.

Significantly, Javed Mengal—who is supposedly heading the group, is the son of Nawab Attaullah Mengal—the first Chief Minister of Balochistan in 1972. After Attaullah Mengal’s government was dismissed, he was thrown in jail and later went into exile. He returned to Balochistan in 1996 and formed a political party—Balochistan National Party. His other son, Akhtar Mengal is the president of the political party, who in June 2020 left the coalition government of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) in the federal assembly on the sensitive issue of missing persons among other Baloch issues.

Like all Baloch armed organisations, LeB too has not declared its leader though Pakistan alleges that Javed Mengal is the leader of the group with Lawang Khan as its spokesperson.

One of its biggest operations was on 25 September 2020, when LeB members attacked a Frontier Corps convoy in Khuzdar killing several Pakistani security personnel.

Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana says that the organization was formed in 2012 after Bakhtiar Domki’s wife and daughter were shot dead by unknown assailants in 2012. Bakhtiar Domki’s wife is the sister of Brahamdagh Bugti and several news reports suggest that this targeted assassination was a message to Brahamdagh Bugti.

The BRG too does not disclose the name of its leader.

According to human rights activist Mehrab Baloch, the BRG is active in the areas of Naseerabad, Bolan, Quetta, Sibi etc. Despite being a part of BRAS, it has nominated its own spokesperson in Dosten Baloch.

Just a few days back, on 10 Feb 2022, BRG members had hurled a grenade in Dera Murad Jamali town killing one and injuring several others.

Baloch National Army (BNA) – Among the numerous Baloch organisations fighting for a common cause of an independent country, earlier this year on 11 January 2022, BRA (Gulzar Imam group) and UBA (Sarfaraz Bangulzai group) merged together to become the BNA. The idea behind the merger is to expand the resistance and unite Baloch forces against the Pakistani military.

The new outfit is headed by Gulzar Imam with Mureed Baloch as its spokesperson.

Immediately after its formation, BNA exploded bombs in the Anarkali market in Lahore killing three and injuring 20 people on 20 January 2022.

Reasons behind disunity among Baloch

Despite a common goal—the independence of Balochistan, a dozen Baloch organisations force an outsider to think that the Baloch freedom struggle is more divided than united. With abundant armed organisations and multiple factions, the Baloch groups have been evolving over decades.

A fiercely independent people, Balochistan has been governed by various tribal chiefs for hundreds of years. When the time for an armed revolution came, it was obvious that it would be started by the numerous tribal chiefs and the local population would follow them. With time, as more and more tribal chiefs were killed or forced to flee into exile, local commanders climbed up the ladder and began to assert themselves and their methodology on the resistance in Balochistan. This gave rise to various splinter organizations such as the BLF whose leader rose from the rank of student politics.

Currently, most of the leaders and alleged leaders are not living in Balochistan. They are managing the operations remotely from Afghanistan, Europe and even Iran, while their local units are conducting the armed operations in Balochistan. However, despite issues among the Baloch armed organizations, their differences don’t seem to deter their larger goal.

(The writer is a geopolitical analyst on Pakistan issues) (The article is carried under an arrangement with the indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Blast in Balochistan kills 4 soldiers

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Russia drops peace treaty talks with Japan

The Russian side is withdrawing from the dialogue with Japan on establishing joint economic activities in these Southern Kurils islands…reports Asian Lite News

Russia will no longer continue peace treaty negotiations with Japan in response to Tokyo’s sanctions against Moscow over the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry here said.

Moscow will also cancel visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the four disputed Pacific islands, which are known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement on Monday.

The Russian side is withdrawing from the dialogue with Japan on establishing joint economic activities in these islands, the statement said.

Russia will also block the extension of Japan’s status as a sectoral dialogue partner of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, it added.

Along with Western countries, Japan has imposed tranches of sanctions on 76 Russian individuals, seven banks, and 12 other bodies, including defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.

On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned Russia’s move and said that “this entire situation has been created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Russia’s response to push this onto Japan-Russia relations is extremely unfair and completely unacceptable”.

Russia and Japan have not signed a post-World War II peace treaty due to their rival claims over the four islands.

The islands were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two, and Russia claims the acquisition was as fair as any international change of boundaries after the war.

Japan has disputed this.

ALSO READ: Too early to talk about Putin-Zelensky meeting: Russia

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China mulls $2.5 bn financial aid to Lanka

China announced Sri Lankan government’s request for financial support in the backdrop of last Thursday’s Sri Lanka signing of $1 billion credit line with India…reports Asian Lite News

 Days after India announced a $1 billion line of credit to financially strapped Sri Lanka, China on Monday said that Beijing is studying Colombo’s request for a $2.5 billion financial assistance.

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong said new request for $1 billion financing facility and $1.5 billion buyer’s credit were raised by Sri Lankan government to Chinese government recently.

“China understands the urgent need of Sri Lanka and its people. Relevant authorities in China are promptly studying the request,” the Ambassador said at a media briefing in Colombo.

China announced Sri Lankan government’s request for financial support in the backdrop of last Thursday’s Sri Lanka signing of $1 billion credit line with India in the presence of visiting Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The Indian credit line was for the procurement of food, medicines and other essential items at a time when the island nation is facing worst-ever economic crisis with dollar crunch leading lack of essential items such medicine, dairy products, fuel, gas resulting complete break of transportation and long hours of daily power cuts.

Speaking to the media in Colombo, the Chinese Ambassador on Monday announced details of various financial assistance provided to Sri Lanka and said $1 billion term financing facility ($500 million on March 2020 and $500 million in April 2021) was provided by China Development Bank (CDB) to Sri Lankan Finance Ministry to support Sri Lanka fighting Covid-19 and reviving the economy.

In August 2021, $300 million term financing facility was provided by CDB and $1.5 billion bilateral currency SWAP agreement was signed between the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) in March 2021, to stabilise the forex level of Sri Lanka, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said.

The Beijing representative also told media that China is the biggest source of FDI for Sri Lanka with SL’s Central Bank’s annual report record by the end of 2020, the stock of China’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Sri Lanka was $2,188 million.

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Hindu girl killed in Pakistan during abduction attempt

Every year, several women belonging to minority communities, especially Hindus in Sindh Pakistan, are abducted and forcibly converted by religious extremists…reports Asian Lite News

 An 18-year-old Hindu girl, Pooja Oad, was reportedly shot dead in Rohi, Sukkur, in Pakistan following a failed abduction attempt.

According to Sindhi media, the girl was said to have been shot in the middle of the street after she put up resistance against her attackers, Friday Times reported.

Every year, several women belonging to minority communities, especially Hindus in Sindh Pakistan, are abducted and forcibly converted by religious extremists.

Rape. (File Photo: IANS)

Pakistan’s minority communities have long faced the issue of forced marriages and conversions. According to the People’s Commission for Minorities’ Rights and the Centre for Social Justice, 156 incidents of forced conversions took place between 2013 and 2019.

In 2019, the Sindh government attempted to outlaw forced conversions and marriages for the second time, but certain religious protesters contested the bill, arguing that these girls are not forced to convert but do so after falling in love with Muslim men, and the law was rejected, Friday Times reported.

That year, the case of two sisters, Reena and Raveena, captured national attention, after their family claimed the girls had been married when they were underage, and therefore were unable to give consent to making such decisions. The girls told the Islamabad High Court that they had converted willingly; the court ruled in the sisters’ favour.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported the overall population of the Hindu community in Pakistan at 1.6 per cent, and 6.51 per cent in Sindh.

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