Tag: South Asia

New Delhi (TIP)- Bangladesh’s toppled leader Sheikh Hasina has denounced her country’s election next month after her party was barred from participating in the polls, raising fears of wider political division and possible unrest.
In a message published by The Associated Press news agency on Thursday, Jan 29, Hasina said “a government born of exclusion cannot unite a divided nation.”
Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia for her crackdown on a student uprising in 2024 that killed hundreds of people and led to the fall of her 15-year government, has been sharpening her critique of the interim government of Nobel Peace winner Muhammad Yunus in recent days, as the election that will shape the nation’s next chapter looms.
“Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimises institutions and creates the conditions for future instability,” the former leader, who is living in exile in India, warned in her email to the AP.
She also claimed that the current Bangladesh government deliberately disenfranchised millions of her supporters by excluding her party – the former governing Awami League – from the election. More than 127 million people in Bangladesh are eligible to vote in the February 12 election, widely seen as the country’s most consequential in decades and the first since Hasina’s removal from power after the mass uprising.
Yunus’s government is overseeing the process, with voters also weighing a proposed constitutional referendum on sweeping political reforms.
Campaigning started last week, with rallies in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere. Yunus returned to Bangladesh and took over three days after Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, following weeks of violent unrest.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan’s military is undergoing a major transformation in multiple domains, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir said on Jan 29, reaffirming that they remain fully prepared to defend the country’s territorial integrity against all threats.
Munir made the remarks during a visit to Bahawalpur Garrison, where he was briefed on various operational, training and administrative aspects of the Corps, with a special focus on preparations for multi-domain warfare, according to a statement issued by the army.
While addressing the troops, Munir lauded their high morale, professional competence and operational preparedness. Munir, who is also the army chief, reaffirmed that the armed forces remain fully prepared to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against all threats, emphasising the need to maintain optimum readiness to meet the requirements of future battlefield and security challenges.
“COAS & CDF highlighted that Pakistan Armed Forces are undergoing major transformation in multiple domains,” the army said. “In future, technological manoeuvres will replace physical manoeuvres and will fundamentally alter the way offensive and defensive operations are undertaken. Therefore, the Pakistan Armed Forces are embracing and absorbing technology at a rapid pace.
In this process innovation, indigenisation and adaptation shall remain fundamental,” he said. Munir also witnessed a high-intensity Field Exercise “Steadfast Resolve,” at Khairpur Tamewali, encompassing integration of niche technologies like unmanned aerial systems, advanced surveillance assets, Electronic Warfare assets and modern command-and-control mechanisms. Earlier, he inaugurated the ROHI eSkills Learning Hub (STP) aimed at promoting digital skills and learning opportunities for students, particularly from southern Punjab and across the country.
He also visited the EME Regional Workshop, where he was briefed on the maintenance regime to sustain modern platforms through advanced technologies, indigenisation and other combat support measures. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.
‘Hybrid’ Confession: PM Sharif Admits Military Is Pak’s True Economic Engine
In a stunning departure from traditional diplomatic rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has openly admitted that a “hybrid regime” is the engine driving the country’s current survival. Addressing a gathering of eminent exporters and business leaders in Islamabad on Friday, the Prime Minister credited the military leadership—specifically Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir—for bailing out the civilian government and steering the nation away from the precipice of economic default.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come in the wake of a significant constitutional overhaul in late 2025, which saw General Asim Munir elevated to the rank of Field Marshal and appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). This new role grants him overarching control over all three branches of the military and the nuclear command, effectively institutionalising the military’s role in civil governance.
“I can say without hesitation that without the help of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, many of our most pressing problems could not have been solved,” Sharif stated. He specifically lauded the military’s “one-hundred-per-cent role” in eliminating petrol smuggling and stabilising the sugar industry. By describing the current setup as a “partnership”, Sharif essentially acknowledged that the civilian administration now operates in a subservient, though collaborative, role to the military high command.
The most provocative segment of the Prime Minister’s speech was directed at New Delhi. Vowing to transform Pakistan into a global economic power, Sharif claimed that the unprecedented level of civil-military unity would soon leave India “astonished” and “puzzled”.

New Delhi (TIP)- Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday, January 23, warned that her country faces the threat of its territory and resources being “bartered away” to foreign interests, and called on citizens to unite and overthrow the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus.
In a veiled reference to growing foreign influence, including from the US, China and Pakistan, Hasina said, “Dangerously, there is a treacherous plot to barter away the territory and resources of Bangladesh to foreign interests.”
Her recorded audio message, delivered in English, was played at an event titled ‘Save Democracy in Bangladesh’ in New Delhi. Invoking the 1971 Liberation War, she exhorted supporters to “overthrow the foreign-serving puppet regime of Yunus”. Hasina, who was removed from power following mass protests in August 2024, accused Yunus of being a “murderous fascist, money launderer, plunderer and a corrupt, power-hungry traitor” who has “bled the nation dry”.
She alleged that under the Yunus administration, violence, torture and sexual assault against women had gone unchecked, religious minorities faced persecution and “mob terror, mass looting, armed robbery and extortion” had become widespread — referring in particular to recent targeted attacks on the Hindu community.
“Bangladesh today stands at the edge of an abyss, battered and bleeding, navigating one of the most perilous chapters in its history,” Hasina said, describing recent developments as a “monstrous onslaught” by extremist communal forces and foreign perpetrators that had trampled the rights of women and minorities.
Calling the country “a vast prison, an execution ground and a valley of death,” she accused Yunus of orchestrating her ouster through a “meticulously engineered conspiracy”.
Hasina said Yunus’ “false promises” had been replaced by chaos, violence, hatred and corruption. Elections are scheduled for February 12, though the Awami League has been barred from contesting. She issued a five-point call: removal of the “illegal” Yunus administration to restore democracy; an end to street violence; guarantees for the safety of religious minorities, women and vulnerable groups; an end to politically motivated legal action against journalists and opposition members; and a UN-led impartial investigation into events of the past year.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 15, said it expects the United States to resume immigrant visa processing “soon” for its citizens, framing Washington’s move to pause applications as part of an internal policy review rather than a permanent clampdown. The pause, announced by the Trump administration on Wednesday, affects immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, as part of a broader effort targeting foreigners deemed likely to rely on public benefits in the US.
Responding to the decision, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad is seeking clarity from Washington and remains hopeful of an early restart. “We are in touch with the US authorities to ascertain further details. This is evolving news that we are following,” he said at his weekly press briefing.
While no timeline has been given for restoring services, Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s expectation that the disruption would be temporary. “We understand that this is an internal ongoing process of review of US immigration policies and system, and hope that the routine processing of immigrant visas will resume soon,” he said.
The suspension could upend travel, study and employment plans for thousands of Pakistanis who apply for US visas each year, officials said.
Andrabi also addressed wider regional developments, saying Pakistan is closely monitoring rising tensions between Iran and the United States. He said Pakistan attaches “great importance” to Iran as a neighbouring country and a key member of the international community, and expressed hope that peace and stability would prevail.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s support for diplomatic efforts, Andrabi said Pakistan backs “all efforts aimed at the peaceful resolution of the situation,” adding that a stable Iran free from domestic unrest is in Pakistan’s interest. He also voiced confidence that the Iranian nation would overcome current challenges and emerge stronger.
Separately, Andrabi urged India to refrain from what he called “baseless” allegations against Pakistan and instead focus on “growing extremism” within its own territory.

Islamabad (TIP)- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who led funeral prayers for slain terrorists in Muridke in the presence of Pakistani Army officers following the destruction of hideouts during Operation Sindoor, has resurfaced and made sweeping claims that global alignments have shifted in Pakistan’s favor.
A US-designated terrorist and close associate of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, Rauf asserted that Turkey and Bangladesh are now backing Islamabad.
“Until yesterday, we were alone, and the whole world was with India. Today, the situation has changed. Turkey is with Pakistan, Bangladesh’s army chief was in Islamabad. Now, the whole world is leaning towards Pakistan,” he said, adding that a “new era of the Mujahideen” has begun, in which Pakistan is winning.
Last year, when images of the LeT commander leading the funeral prayers went viral on social media, Pakistan Army dismissed he was a terrorist and instead described him as a “cleric” and “family man.” In his new video, the terrorist also claimed that India had “learned its lesson and would not dare to attack Pakistan for the next 50 years.”
In an inflammatory statement, the Pakistan-based terrorist said events in Bahawalpur and Muridke on May 6 and 7 had run their course, but alleged that Pakistan delivered a decisive response on May 10 “with the help of Allah,” leaving India unable to even “look at Pakistan.”
Security analysts note that the statements appear aimed at propaganda and morale-building, coming from the same terrorist commander who was seen frightened and distressed in the immediate aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The Pakistan-based terrorist’s fresh warning comes a month after he was seen in a video delivering an inflammatory speech in which he openly called for attacks on India, including a provocative threat that “Delhi will be made a bride.”

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan’s air chief met Saudi Arabia’s top air force commander and discussed opportunities to expand military cooperation between the two longtime allies, the military said here on Thursday.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, this week visited the Gulf Kingdom, where he met Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force Lt Gen Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz and Chief of the General Staff General Fayiadh bin Hameed Al-Rowaily.
According to a statement by the Pakistan military on Thursday, bilateral cooperation, regional security dynamics and future defence collaboration were discussed during the meetings.
It said that the Saudi defence leadership praised the robust bond of fraternity between the two brotherly nations and commended the close, enduring cooperation that exists between their respective Air Forces.
“Acknowledging the growing significance of Multi Domain Operations in addressing the complexities of modern warfare, the military leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conveyed strong interest in leveraging Pakistan Air Force’s rich operational experience through enhanced joint training and operational collaboration,” the statement said.
“They also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability,” it added.
“Both sides expressed satisfaction over the existing level of cooperation and agreed to further enhance engagement through joint training, operational collaboration and exchange of professional expertise,” the statement said.
Sidhu highlighted the historic, time-tested and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, founded on shared religious values, mutual respect and strategic alignment.
He reiterated his unwavering commitment to enhancing existing ties in the realm of military-to-military cooperation through bilateral and multilateral exercises. He underscored the profound transformation of the PAF in recent years, with particular emphasis on its evolution into a robust Multi-Domain Force.
Sidhu emphasised that this enhanced capability, seamlessly integrating space, electronic warfare, cyber, niche technologies and artificial intelligence domains, was decisively manifested during the May conflict in 2025, reflecting PAF’s operational prowess, adaptability and combat effectiveness, the statement said.
It further said that his visit “underscores the depth of the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to further strengthen cooperation in the defence and aviation sectors”.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan has quietly conceded unprecedented security space to China, agreeing to allow the establishment of Chinese-controlled “security posts” inside its territory amid mounting pressure from Beijing over repeated attacks on Chinese nationals. According to senior security sources cited by CNN-News18, the move marks a significant erosion of Pakistan’s sovereignty and reflects Islamabad’s deepening strategic dependence on China as it struggles to control militant violence on its own soil.
The decision follows sustained Chinese anger over Pakistan’s failure to protect workers and assets linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, despite years of military deployment. Nearly 90 Chinese citizens have been killed in Pakistan since 2014, exposing what Beijing sees as a chronic security breakdown. With Islamabad unable to guarantee safety, China has now pushed its way deeper into Pakistan’s internal security architecture.
China pushes for inner security posts inside Pakistan
Sources told CNN-News18 that Pakistan’s commitments were finalised during a recent China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, where Chinese officials raised sharp concerns over continuing militant attacks on Chinese engineers, technicians, and construction workers.
During the visit, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reportedly signed a confidential agreement with China’s Ministry of Public Security. Under this arrangement, Pakistan has agreed to allow the creation of Chinese “inner-posts” or security nodes located close to Chinese personnel and assets, going well beyond conventional perimeter protection.
Islamabad has also agreed to expand Special Protection Units that will operate exclusively for Chinese nationals. These SPUs are being deployed across Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Sukkur, Peshawar, Gwadar, and Gilgit-Baltistan, supplementing the military forces already guarding major CPEC projects.
Sources say Beijing has been blunt in its assessment that Pakistan’s existing security framework has failed. China has therefore demanded layered, localised protection closer to Chinese sites, along with joint police training, deeper intelligence sharing, and a coordinated counter-terrorism mechanism involving both countries’ security agencies.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Naqvi have assured Chinese officials that Islamabad is taking “strong measures at all levels” to plug security gaps. Both sides have also agreed to conduct joint security reviews every 90 days, effectively institutionalising Chinese oversight of Pakistan’s internal security arrangements.
Beijing’s non-negotiable terms and Pakistan’s vulnerability
Despite pumping nearly $60 billion into Pakistan’s infrastructure, China remains deeply dissatisfied with the security environment. Sources told CNN-News18 that Beijing placed just two non-negotiable demands before Islamabad.
The first is absolute security for Chinese nationals operating in Pakistan. The second is a one-window operational system that allows Chinese investments, logistics, and financial flows to bypass Pakistan’s slow and opaque bureaucracy.
For Pakistan, the concessions underline its growing inability to say no to its primary economic lifeline. Analysts say the expanding Chinese security footprint raises uncomfortable questions about transparency, civilian oversight, and how much control Islamabad is willing to surrender in exchange for financial survival.
The developments carry serious implications for India. The expansion of Chinese security infrastructure in Pakistan, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan, brings Chinese personnel closer to India’s sensitive northern frontiers. It also deepens China’s physical presence in territories that India considers illegally occupied by Pakistan.
More importantly, the growing integration of Chinese and Pakistani security mechanisms strengthens the strategic nexus between Beijing and Islamabad. This risks turning Pakistan into a forward operating zone for Chinese interests in South Asia, with potential spillover effects for regional stability.

Rawalpindi (TIP)- Pakistani archaeologists have uncovered rare decorative stones and ancient coins during excavations at a UNESCO-listed site near the historic city of Taxila, offering fresh insight into the earliest urban settlement of the vast ancient civilisation.
The finds were made at the ancient Bhir Mound, where experts discovered decorative stones dating back to the 6th century BC along with coins from the 2nd century AD.
According to Dawn, officials described the discovery as the most significant at the site in the past decade.
The report said archaeologists recovered fragments of metamorphic decorative stone identified as lapis lazuli, along with rare bronze coins attributed to the Kushan dynasty, significantly advancing the material understanding of ancient Gandhara.
Aasim Dogar, deputy director of the Punjab Department of Archaeology and head of the excavation team, confirmed the preliminary assessment of the artefacts. “The decorative stones are lapis lazuli, a prized semi-precious stone, while the coins belong to the Kushan period,” Dogar said.
The excavation team sought specialised forensic support to date the metal artefacts. Dogar said detailed numismatic analysis carried out by experts from the University of Peshawar confirmed that the coins bear the image of Emperor Vasudeva, whom historians recognise as the last of the ‘great Kushan rulers’ to govern the region.
Dogar explained that the obverse side of the recovered coins depicts Vasudeva, while the reverse shows a female religious deity. He described this imagery as a defining feature of Kushan-era religious pluralism, which frequently integrated diverse theological traditions.
The artefacts were unearthed on the northern side of the site, specifically in the B-2 trench — one of 16 trenches currently under excavation. Dogar said surrounding evidence indicates that the area functioned as a residential zone.
The latest discoveries reinforce the view that Taxila reached the height of its political, cultural, and economic prominence during Kushan rule, particularly between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. “Under emperors such as Kanishka the Great, Taxila emerged as a major administrative, commercial, and intellectual centre,” Dogar said.
He added that extensive Kushan patronage of Buddhism during this period resulted in the construction of stupas, monasteries, and large religious complexes. The era also witnessed the flourishing of Gandharan art — a unique fusion of Greek, Roman, Persian, and Indian influences — with Taxila at its centre.
Malik Tahir Suleman, a leading numismatist, told Dawn that Kushan coins are among the most important historical sources for studying ancient South and Central Asia.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has revealed that he was advised to “hide in a bunker” when India launched Operation Sindoor in May.
Zardari made the revelation while speaking at an event in Larkana, Sindh province, to mark the 18th death anniversary of his wife and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
“My military secretary came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has started. Let’s go to a bunker.’ I had actually told him four days earlier that a war was going to happen… I said, ‘If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They don’t die sitting in bunkers’,” he said on Saturday.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes between the two countries and ended with an understanding to stop the military actions on May 10.
“Pakistan desires peace but remains fully prepared to defend itself,” Zardari said, while making claims about what he called Pakistan’s “decisive stance” during the four-day conflict.
President Zardari also praised army chief Asim Munir for what he called a “befitting reply to India” in the armed conflict in May.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has admitted that India attacked its Nur Khan airbase in the early hours of May 10, in possibly a first-time admission eight months after the conflict.
Dar also said Islamabad did not request mediation between Pakistan and India during the May conflict but claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed a desire to speak with New Delhi.
“As many as 79 of 80 drones sent by India were intercepted within 36 hours. India then made the mistake of attacking the Nur Khan airbase in the early hours of May 10, prompting Pakistan’s retaliatory operation,” Dar, who is also the foreign minister, said while outlining Pakistan’s diplomatic engagements in 2025.
Dar said that on May 10, US Secretary of State Rubio called him at around 8.17 am, in which he conveyed that India was ready for a ceasefire and asked whether Pakistan would agree. “I said we never wanted to go to war,” Dar added.
He further said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal later contacted him seeking permission to speak with India and “subsequently confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed.”

Dhaka (TIP)- Bangladesh police on Dec 17 stopped protesters from marching towards an Indian diplomatic mission, a day after India’s foreign ministry conveyed its concerns over the “deteriorating” security environment in the country. Ties between the two countries have been frosty since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising last year.
Dhaka has repeatedly asked for her extradition so that she could stand trial for her alleged crimes, with Delhi responding that it was examining the requests. On Dec 17, dozens of demonstrators began marching towards the assistant Indian high commissioner office in Rajshahi district which borders India. Miftahul Jannat, one of the protesters, said the plan was to carry out a sit-in, demanding the “repatriation of all the killers including Sheikh Hasina”.
The protest was stalled by the police, who said they “listened to their demands and promised to forward them to the authorities”.
“We are not aware of any further plans (for demonstrations) and hope the issue will be resolved peacefully,” Nashid Farhad, a senior officer with the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, told AFP.
On Wednesday, a group of protesters tried to march towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh’s top diplomat in New Delhi to convey its concerns about the actions of some “extremist elements”.
In a statement, the ministry also said it expected the interim government under Muhammad Yunus to “ensure the safety of missions and posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations”.
Hasina, 78, was sentenced to death in absentia by a Bangladesh court last month for crimes against humanity.
The country of 170 million people goes to the polls on February 12, with Hasina’s former ruling party, the Awami League, banned from running.

Islamabad (TIP)- Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s all-powerful defence chief, is reportedly looking at the toughest test of his expanding stronghold on Islamabad as the United States pushes the South Asian nation to send troops to Gaza. Munir is facing a two-edged sword, as contributing Pakistani troops to the Gaza stabilisation force could spark a domestic backlash, but backing away from the request could annoy US President Donald Trump, according to experts.
Munir is expected to fly to Washington to meet with Trump in the coming weeks, news agency Reuters reported. This will be the third meeting between Trump and Munir in six months that will likely focus on the Gaza force, two sources told Reuters, one of whom is closely involved in Munir’s economic outreach to the US.
Trump’s proposed 20-point Gaza plan calls for troops from Muslim-majority nations to oversee a transition period following the withdrawal of Israeli forces for reconstruction and economic recovery in the war-torn Palestinian territory. Gaza has been devastated by more than two years of war between Israeli forces and Hamas.
But many nations are wary of the mission to demilitarise Gaza’s Islamist group Hamas, which could drag them into the conflict and enrage their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli populations. Experts told Reuters that the move risks pulling foreign troops deeper into the conflict and could inflame pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli public opinion at home.
Pressure On Asim Munir
But the situation is more precarious for Munir, as he has built a close relationship with the mercurial Trump to repair years of mistrust between Washington and Islamabad. In June, he was rewarded with a White House lunch – the first time a US president hosted Pakistan’s army chief alone, without civilian officials – and he couldn’t risk annoying him
“Not contributing (to the Gaza stabilisation force) could annoy Trump, which is no small matter for a Pakistani state that appears quite keen to remain in his good graces – in great part to secure US investment and security aid,” Michael Kugelman, Senior Fellow, South Asia at the Washington-based Atlantic Council, told Reuters.
Pakistan is the world’s only Muslim country with nuclear weapons and has a battle-hardened military, having gone to war with its neighbours several times over the years. It has also tackled insurgencies in its far-flung regions and is currently embroiled in a bruising battle with Islamist terrorists who it says are operating from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s military strength means “there is a greater pressure on Munir to deliver his capacity,” said author and defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Islamabad could consider contributing troops for peacekeeping, but disarming Hamas “is not our job.”
Asim Munir’s Rise To Power
Munir was appointed chief of the defence forces earlier this month to head the air force and navy, with a job extension until 2030. He will retain his field marshal title forever, as well as enjoy lifetime immunity from any criminal prosecution under the constitutional amendments that Pakistan’s civilian government pushed through parliament late last month.
“Few people in Pakistan enjoy the luxury of being able to take risks more than Munir. He has unbridled power, now constitutionally protected,” Kugelman added.
“Ultimately, it will be Munir’s rules, and his rules only.”