Tag: South Asia

Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday for allegedly misusing the state funds during his tenure as head of state, police said. Wickremesinghe, 76, was arrested at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, where he was summoned to record a statement in connection with an investigation into the alleged misuse of government funds, police said. Later, the veteran opposition leader was produced before a magistrates’ court in Colombo. Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, has been accused of using state funds to travel to England to attend a convocation ceremony of his wife, Prof Maithree, in September 2023. Wickremesinghe is the first former president to be arrested in Sri Lanka, it added.

Islamabad (TIP)- The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in its latest report has revealed a disturbing rise in violence against religious minorities over the past year, local media reported on August 21.
In its latest report, ‘Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25’, the HRCP highlighted incidents of targetted killings, the demolition of places of worship, the forced conversion and marriage of underage Hindu and Christian girls and a rise in hate speech. The report warned that the trends pose serious threats to religious freedom in Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
The report sounded alarm over two cases of extrajudicial killings by police, terming them “deeply chilling”. In two cases, law enforcement officers shot the two individuals who were accused of blasphemy and had requested protection from violent mobs. The rights body stated that such incidents demonstrate the need for police reforms and stronger accountability mechanisms.
Earlier in July, the HRCP raised serious concerns over the continued persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan. The rights body highlighted that a Christian man in Sargodha district of Pakistan’s Punjab province was lynched by a violent mob, following accusations of blasphemy, while the Ahmadiyya community withdrew from the electoral process entirely in the region, citing systemic discrimination and lack of safety.
Additionally, the HRCP mentioned that Punjab continued to account for the highest number of child abuse cases in the country.
“Between January and June 2024 alone, the province reported 78 per cent of the 1,630 cases nationwide, alongside 2,506 incidents of sexual abuse, 2,189 kidnappings, 457 cases of child trafficking, and 455 instances of physical abuse. The death of 11-year-old Ayesha, a domestic worker in Faisalabad, and similar incidents in Sargodha and Lahore exposed the violence faced by underage working children in private homes,” it stated.
The human rights organisation in its State of Human Rights in 2024 report detailed a surge in sexual violence against women, including those with mental disabilities, domestic abuse resulting in fatalities, involving pregnant women, and honour killings, which continued throughout the year in Punjab. In a case involving an alleged rape at a private college in Lahore, the HRCP noted a failure by the authorities to gather conclusive evidence that the incident had occurred.
Highlighting the challenges faced by women in politics, the HRCP stated that “women Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) staged a walkout over inappropriate gestures” in the Punjab Assembly, while the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities faced legal setbacks.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Bangladesh on August 23 as the two countries saw a warming up of bilateral relations after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster from office last year.
Dar, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, was earlier set to visit Bangladesh in April this year, but the visit was postponed due to tension with India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent conflict between India and Pakistan.
According to official sources, Dar is now set to visit Dhaka on August 23.
The details of the visit, however, have not been shared as yet, but he is expected to meet his counterpart Touhid Hossain, as well as the Chief Adviser of the Interim government, Muhammad Yunus.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh had plummeted during Hasina’s regime, but took a sharp upward turn as she was ousted from power on August 5 last year following a massive student-led protest.
Last month, the two countries agreed to grant visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic and official passports from the other side.
The deal was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh’s Home Minister Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch had visited Dhaka in April for Foreign Office Consultations after a 15-year break in diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh.
In February, both countries started direct government-to-government trade after decades of troubled relations, with imports of 50,000 tonnes of rice.
Direct private trade between the two countries restarted in November 2024 when a container ship sailed from Karachi to Chittagong.

Islamabad (TIP)- Pakistan, which was made to bite the dust by Indian armed forces in Operation Sindoor, has announced the creation of a new military force to supervise missile combat capabilities in a conventional conflict. Pakistan’s move on a dedicated command for missiles and rockets, modelled on China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), is being seen as an apparent move to match India’s onslaught.
During the four-day mini-war in May, aerial warfare prevailed. Drones, missiles, and loitering munitions were all used by both sides. Pakistan’s Chinese-made PL-15 and India’s indigenous BrahMos, Akash systems, and even the Russian S-400 were deployed. Pakistan’s missiles largely turned into duds, as almost all were intercepted and destroyed by Indian air defence using several missile systems.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on the eve of its Independence Day, late Wednesday (August 13, 2025), announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate the military confrontation with India, reported news agency Reuters.
“It will be equipped with modern technology,” Sharif said, according to a statement from Islamabad. He added that the force will prove to be a milestone in strengthening the combat capability of Pakistan’s army.
Sharif, however, did not provide any further details.
A senior Pakistani security official told news agency Reuters that the new force will house a dedicated command, which will be exclusive to the handling and deployment of missiles in any event of a conventional war.
“It is obvious that it is meant for India,” he said.
Pakistan’s Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) will be “modelled explicitly after China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF)”, noted Group Captain MJ Augustine (retired) in his report in the Eurasian Times.
The PLARF, previously known as the Second Artillery Corps, serves as China’s strategic and tactical missile force. As the fourth branch of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the PLARF manages China’s land-based missile arsenal, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, both nuclear and conventional.
Group Captain MJ Augustine (retired) explained how Pakistan’s new force being modelled after the one in China, also strengthens the Islamabad-Beijing axis. During Operation Sindoor, China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence, satellite surveillance, and advanced military hardware. This collaboration, including the use of Chinese-supplied J-10 aircraft and AI-driven systems like CENTAIC, revealed the deep strategic nexus, with China using Pakistan as a testing ground for its military technology.
At the regional level, the ARFC reinforces the China-Pakistan alliance, often referred to as an “all-weather friendship”. Modelled after China’s PLARF, which oversees the country’s extensive missile arsenal for both conventional and nuclear purposes, Pakistan’s force gains from Chinese technology transfers, according to the veteran.
During Operation Sindoor, India demonstrated a decisive advantage over Pakistan in both missile interception and offensive air power.
Indian defence systems proved highly effective in neutralising incoming threats, intercepting Pakistani missiles with precision and minimising potential damage. A night before the ceasefire, India intercepted and shot down Pakistan’s Fatah-1 missile over Haryana’s Sirsa. Its debris were found near Khaja Khera village.
At the same time, the Indian Air Force launched a fierce and coordinated assault, striking multiple high-value and sensitive targets deep within Pakistani territory. These included PAF’s Nur Khan airbase, key communication hubs, and strategic infrastructure, disrupting Pakistan’s operational capabilities.
The combination of technological superiority, advanced missile defence systems, and aggressive aerial tactics left Pakistan struggling to mount an effective counteroffensive.
Rattled by this, Pakistan has seemingly responded by creating its new military unit – the Army Rocket Force.

COLOMBO (TIP): Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption authorities arrested a member of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family on Wednesday, accusing him of illegally claiming reparations for property loss when his presidential uncle was toppled three years ago. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) said it had taken Shasheendra Rajapaksa, a former minister and nephew of two presidents, Mahinda and Gotabaya, into custody. Shasheendra becomes the first Rajapaksa to be arrested since the leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September, promising to investigate corruption.
“Mr. Rajapaksa is charged with corruption for coercing state officials into paying him compensation for damage to a property he claimed was his,” CIABOC said in a statement.
“However, this asset is located on state-owned land. He misused state land, claimed compensation he was not entitled to, and committed the offence of corruption.”
Sri Lanka faced its worst economic crisis in 2022 when it declared its first sovereign default on $46 billion in external debt.
Months of consumer goods shortages sparked widespread civil unrest, culminating in the ousting of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Two of Shasheendra’s cousins, Namal and Yoshitha, both sons of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, are facing money laundering charges.
Yoshitha has told investigators that he raised a large sum of money from a bag of gems gifted by an elderly grand-aunt, who has since stated that she could not recall who originally gave her the gems.
Mahinda’s brother-in-law, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, has been charged with causing losses to the state while head of the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines.
Another brother of Mahinda, Basil Rajapaksa, who also served as a minister, is facing money laundering charges. (AFP)

Islamabad (TIP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to engage in a “meaningful dialogue” with India to resolve all outstanding issues.
His remarks came during a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott at the Prime Minister’s House, according to an official statement.
The two leaders discussed regional developments in South Asia and the Middle East, as well as ongoing bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
“The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the UK’s role in helping de-escalate tensions during the recent Pakistan-India standoff, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness for a meaningful dialogue with India on all unresolved matters,” the statement read.
Tensions flared after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes led to four days of clashes, which ended on May 10 following an understanding to halt military actions.
India, however, has maintained that any dialogue with Pakistan must be limited to the issues of terrorism and the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
On the topic of Pakistan-UK relations, PM Sharif said the positive momentum in bilateral ties and welcomed recent trade talks that, he said, could lead to mutually beneficial opportunities.
He also praised the UK government’s decision to resume Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to and from the UK, describing it as a step that would ease travel challenges for the British Pakistani community and boost people-to-people exchanges.
(With inputs from agencies)

Karachi (TIP)- Insurgents shot and killed nine passengers from Punjab after offloading them from a passenger bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Friday, July 11, according to authorities.

The incident took place on the national highway in Zhob area of the province, said Zhob Assistant Commissioner Naveed Alam. The armed insurgents checked ID cards of passengers and offloaded nine of them from the bus going from Quetta to Lahore, and shot them dead.

All nine belonged to different parts of the Punjab province, Alam said.

“We have moved the nine bodies to the hospital for post-mortem and burial procedures,” he said.

This is not the first time that insurgents have targeted people belonging to the Punjab province and passenger buses plying on different highways in Balochistan.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but in the past, ethnic Baloch terrorist groups carried out such targeted attacks against the people of Punjab.

Meanwhile, insurgents also carried out three other terrorist attacks in Quetta, Loralai and Mastung, but spokesperson for the Balochistan government Shahid Rind claimed security forces repulsed these attacks.

Unconfirmed reports in the Balochistan media claimed that insurgents had struck at several places in the province during the night and engaged security forces by attacking check posts, government installations, police stations, banks and communication towers. While Rind confirmed the attacks, he said there were no reports of casualties in any of them. Bordering Iran and Afghanistan, Balochistan is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in this oil- and mineral-rich province. In March, five people working on long body trailers were shot dead in the Kalmat area near Gwadar port, while in February, insurgents offloaded seven passengers belonging to the Punjab province and killed them on the spot in the Barkhan area.

ISLAMABAD / US (TIP): Amid sustained pressure by India on recognising cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, the Quad has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and called for acting against the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the April 22 massacre without any delay.
The foreign ministers of the four-nation grouping–India, US, Japan and Australia are its members–met in Washington on Tuesday to firm up a broad agenda for the bloc’s annual summit in India later this year.
In its joint statement, the Quad did not mention Pakistan but made it amply clear where it was hinting. The statement used the words “cross-border terrorism” and followed it up by condemning the Pahalgam attack.
The statement, which was posted by the US State Department on its website, said, “We condemn in strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and a Nepali citizen.”
Blaming Pakistan for aiding, abetting, financing and providing logistical support for the attack, India carried our airstrikes to dismantle the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
“We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renew our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation,” the statement said.
The Quad urged all UN member states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian and Japanese Foreign Ministers, Penny Wong and Takeshi Iwaya, respectively, were at the event.
Pakistan is a UN member and now heads the UNSC for a fixed term as a non-permanent member of the association. The UNSC, in a resolution on April 25, mentioned the Pahalgam attack and underlined the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. (tns)

NEW DELHI (TIP): In an escalation of legal action against Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday sentenced her to six months in prison for contempt of court. This marks the first time that the Awami League leader has been sentenced in any case.
The verdict, delivered by ICT Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortaza Mozumder, marks the first conviction against the former Prime Minister since her removal from office in August 2024 following a student-led uprising. The tribunal ruled that Hasina’s recent remarks made in exile had “undermined the dignity and authority” of the court.
The prosecution filed a complaint against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over a phone call in which Hasina allegedly claimed she had a “license to kill” 227 people. After repeated failures to appear before the tribunal, public notices were issued for her summoning.
Ironically, the ICT was established by Hasina herself in 2008 to prosecute those accused of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War. But since her ouster and subsequent escape from Dhaka, the tribunal has undergone sweeping changes under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus that include the appointment of new judges and prosecutors.
The contempt verdict comes just a day after prosecutors filed five charges of crimes against humanity against Hasina, including abetment, incitement, complicity, and conspiracy related to mass killings during the July–August 2024 unrest. Hasina denied all charges, calling them politically motivated.
In a statement issued from London, the now-banned Awami League, which Hasina continues, slammed the ruling as a “show trial,” accusing the interim government of turning the ICT into a political tool.
“With the selective appointment of loyal prosecutors and denial of legal rights to detainees, the regime has weaponized the judicial process,” the party said. It alleged the trial was “rigged” to silence dissent and claimed that thousands have been falsely implicated in murder cases and detained without due process.
The Awami League also condemned the ban on its operations, and alleged a “blanket indemnity” had been granted to pro-Yunus forces accused of killing police and unleashing violence during the transition of power.
Further accusing the interim regime of courtroom intimidation, the party said judges were removed under pressure from Yunus-backed mobs, while lawyers and detainees were assaulted in court with impunity. It also expressed alarm that lawyers who had previously defended 1971 war criminals were now serving as prosecutors in Hasina’s trial. (ANI)

DEHRADUN (TIP): Tibetans in exile celebrate the 90th birthday of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama next week, an occasion overshadowed by uncertainty about the future of the role and what it means for their movement.
The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist — who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post — will reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.
The inevitable change ahead brings wider concerns for Tibetans over the struggle to keep their identity alive after generations in exile, following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. There is widespread support among Tibetans in exile for the Dalai Lama role to remain, said Dawa Tashi, once jailed in Tibet for his criticism of Beijing.
The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand. “I strongly believe the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama will continue,” said Tashi, of the India-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
“This hope is not only shared by Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, but by thousands who are connected to the Dalai Lama across the world,” he told AFP.
The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed the uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
The Dalai Lama has been lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa.
‘Vested political interests’
The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally. At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system.”
Many Tibetans in exile fear China will name a successor to bolster its control over Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has said that if there is a successor it will come from the “free world” outside China’s control.
The Dalai Lama has long said he does not seek full independence for Tibet.
Beijing says the territory is an integral part of China and that the Dalai Lama “has no right to represent the Tibetan people”.
Whatever the Dalai Lama decides about his role, “the freedom movement must continue regardless”, said Kunga Tashi, a 23-year-old Tibetan software engineer in India’s tech hub Bengaluru.
“The Chinese government and even Tibetans still equate the Dalai Lama with the freedom struggle,” he said. “And that is why his reincarnation feels like a turning point.”
‘Continuity of the institution’
The Dalai Lama, recognised worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, lives an austere monastic life in India’s Himalayan hill town of McLeod Ganj. He has said he wants to live until 113.
Penpa Tsering, the sikyong or head of the government which is also based in McLeod Ganj, said that senior Buddhist elders, or lamas, will meet the Dalai Lama on July 2.
The same day they will open the grand meeting of religious leaders, during which a video message by the Dalai Lama will be broadcast.
No details of its message have been released.
The Dalai Lama’s translator of nearly four decades, Thupten Jinpa, believes that “the continuity of the institution will remain”, meaning that, in time, there “will be a new Dalai Lama”.
“Today, many young Tibetans prioritise personal success over collective struggle,” said Geshema Tenzin Kunsel, a nun in her 50s from Dolma Ling Nunnery, near McLeod Ganj.
“In his absence, I fear what our future might look like.”
‘Shape our own destiny’
Tibetans who spoke to AFP say they will keep up their campaign no matter what happens in the coming weeks.
“While we haven’t yet achieved our goal of returning to a free Tibet, we’ve come further than anyone could have imagined — and that’s because of His Holiness (the Dalai Lama),” said Sonam Topgyal, 26, a university student in New Delhi.
Nepal-based Sakina Batt, 35, a former civil servant with the Tibetan administration, is part of Tibet’s minority Muslim population.
She too believes that the reincarnation process should “continue as it has for generations, preserving its sacred tradition without interruption”.
But she also said that it depended on the people, not just one leader.
“The future of Tibetans depends on unity and resilience,” she said. “It’s ultimately up to us to shape our own destiny.” (AFP)

lahore / NEW DELHI (TIP): Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday admitted that China was sharing intelligence inputs on India with Islamabad following Operation Sindoor and the heightened tensions that ensued.
In an interview with Arab News, Asif said it was common for friendly nations to share intelligence gathered via satellites or other means and “China also has disputes with India”.
“These days, countries that are close to each other do share intelligence. It’s very normal if we are sharing any information we have,” Asif said.”It’s very normal if we are sharing any information that could pose a threat to us or the Chinese, because the Chinese also have issues with India. So I think it’s very natural to share intelligence gathered through satellites or other means,” he added. The defence minister also stated that Pakistan has remained on high alert following the recent “short conflict” with India.
“Pakistan, since our conflict or this short war with India, has been on alert. We have not lowered our guards. I can confirm that we’ve maintained this alert status for over a month now,” Asif said.
“The conflict is over, there is a ceasefire, and we hope things remain calm,” he added.
This comes more than a month after India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire following escalated cross-border tensions in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
While Pakistan accepted the ceasefire without conditions, India has continued to enforce several punitive measures against its neighbour.
The ceasefire resulted from direct engagement between Indian and Pakistani officials, with Islamabad agreeing to terms with “no preconditions, no postconditions, and no links to other issues.” (TOI)