The last time U.S.-Pakistan relations turned cold was in the early 1990s, after Soviet forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the U.S. no longer needed Pakistan’s support and regional intelligence. Following last year’s U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, after two decades of costly war that forced the countries to work closely, Washington and Islamabad again appear to be distancing from each other on major issues. 

“Afghanistan has long been the lens through which Washington views its relations with Islamabad,” Michael Kugelman, an expert at the Wilson Center, told VOA.  

For Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of some 225 million people, having close relations with a global power is vital in order for it to maintain balance with its arch-enemy India, at least militarily, and ease domestic economic problems. 

From the start of the war in Afghanistan to its 2021 conclusion, the U.S. committed more than $32.5 billion in civilian and military aid to Pakistan, according to the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. 

With U.S. military assistance suspended in 2018 and civilian aid reduced to about $300 million for 2022, Pakistani authorities have turned to other countries for help.  

Late last month, as Russian troops started invading Ukraine, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the Kremlin seeking closer ties and economic assistance. Khan said Pakistan will continue to import wheat and gas from Russia despite widespread international sanctions.

Of the 193 U.N. member states, 141 voted in early March to condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine, but Pakistan was conspicuously missing from the list.   

Khan has defied international calls for Pakistan to condemn the Russian invasion, saying, “What do you think of us? Are we your slaves … that whatever you say, we will do?”  

Chinese weapons  

Pakistan spent more than $750 million on weapons imports from China last year, according to a database compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 

Last week, Pakistan’s air force displayed its first batch of Chinese-built J-10C fighter jets. Although Islamabad hasn’t said how many aircraft were acquired in the deal, Pakistani officials had spoken of up to 25 jets in prior news reports. 

The Pakistani army has long been a stable client for China’s weapons market, but it also used to purchase from the U.S. 

In 2010, during the height of U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan, Pakistan imported more than $1 billion worth of weapons from the U.S., including several F-16 fighter jets.  

In 2021, there were no U.S. weapons sales to Pakistan.  

Pakistan and China, long-established regional allies, have recently expanded trade, investment and economic relations. 

During the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in February, which the U.S. diplomatically boycotted, Prime Minister Khan was in the Chinese capital to sign agreements on cooperation in several areas including space, digitization, technical assistance and culture.

“The trend lines for Pakistan’s relations with China are more positive than they are for its relationship with the U.S.,” Kugelman said, adding that the prospects for U.S.-Pakistan relations appear “tenuous at best.”  

Terrorism concerns  

Pakistani authorities have accused the U.S. government of having an opportunistic and sometimes even abusive relationship with Pakistan.  

“Whenever the U.S. needed us, they established relations and Pakistan became a frontline state, and then abandoned it and slapped sanctions on us,” Khan was quoted as telling Pakistani media outlets on February 11.  

In the U.S., however, the Pakistani government is seen as dishonest, particularly in tackling Islamic militancy and terrorism in the region.  

Pakistan has “really been nothing short of duplicitous for years,” U.S. Congressman Scott Perry told VOA, adding that the country was a hotbed of many terrorist groups.  

Last week, Perry introduced a bill that calls for a designation of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.  

It is too early to say whether the bill will be passed, but when asked why he introduced it now, seven months after the U.S. exited Afghanistan, Perry talked about Pakistan’s ties to Russia.  

“While we’re trying to get the world united against Russia, [Pakistan] won’t take a vote at the U.N. and they’re actually lobbying Russia to build a pipeline between Russia and Pakistan,” Perry said.  

Despite inflammatory statements in both Pakistan and the U.S., neither country appears to be seeking a permanent split, said Kugelman of the Wilson Center.  

“It would be wrong to suggest that Pakistan’s deepening alliance with China and growing partnerships with other U.S. rivals signals the end of U.S.-Pakistan relations. There’s still an appetite in Islamabad for some degree of partnership.”  

 
…

Traditional Kashmiri carpet weavers are turning to a 21st century technology already embraced by French winemakers and other international purveyors to boost sales by reassuring buyers that they are buying authentic made-in-Kashmir carpets, not cheap imitations.

The technology, used to authenticate wine from Cabo Verde, watches made in Switzerland, Bashkir honey from Russia and Tushuri Guda cheese from Georgia, combines a digital QR code with geo-locational features to guarantee to buyers that a carpet was actually woven in Kashmir.

Carpets from the region are ranked among the finest in the world because of the fineness of the weaving and the quality of the wool and silk yarn.

Mahmood Ahmad Shah, director of Handloom & Handicrafts in Kashmir, says this is the first time the region’s pashmina or Kashmir silk carpets have received QR code-based geographical indications.

With QR code tagging, Shah expects to attract more clients, benefiting local artisans in Indian-administered Kashmir.

“We are optimistic that it would give boost to the $40 million [export] business and would benefit 54,000 artisans registered with the Department of Handloom & Handicrafts in Kashmir,” he told VOA.

The origin of Kashmir’s hand-knotted carpets, locally called as “Kalbaffi,” dates back to the 15th century. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidinis is believed to have sent Persian and Central Asian carpet weavers to Kashmir to teach the locals.

But Shah said the widespread sale of misbranded Kashmiri carpets has eroded trust among the consumers and led to the marginalization of local weavers such as Nissar Ahmad, a 50-year-old weaver from the outskirts of Srinagar who told VOA he works from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. earning the equivalent of just $4.15.

“I have been into carpet weaving for over 35 years and at this age I can’t shift to any other economic activity to earn my living. With this earning, it is hard to manage daily expenses,” he said.

Shah said the certification will help the industry to regain customer trust, leading to a better life for the artisans.

From Gruyère cheese to Tequila, appellations of origin are jealously guarded by local growers and makers, especially in industries in which the quality of the product is directly linked to the place where it was made or grown. Many agricultural products, for example, are impacted by factors such as the climate and quality of soil.

The Srinagar-based Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) started labeling the Kashmiri carpets earlier this month, embedding such factors into the QR codes as the identity of the weaver, district, raw material, size, knots per square inch, pile height, quality and whether the weaver is an authorized GI user.

That information is readable on digital devices including smart phones, marking the first time the technology has been used in India. “Every piece of information you could ever want to know about a piece of carpet may be found in its QR code,” said Zubair Ahmad, director of the IICT.

Customers who are unable to scan the barcode can verify the product’s legitimacy by typing an alphanumeric code found on the label into a web browser. Ahmad said the label also bears certain information that can be read with infrared equipment, and which cannot be reproduced or damaged.

In order to participate in the program, artisans and manufacturers needs to register with the Indian federal government’s office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks. According to the Geographical Indications Registry of India, so far there are 25 authorized users in Kashmir.

Shah said the government will be able to map the movement of each carpet in order to better evaluate the international market.

“When a customer scans the QR-tag through a smart phone fixed on the carpet, the department through block-chain technology will be able to trace the geographic location of the carpet and assess the demand from the various countries and will accordingly formulate market strategy.”

The institute has already received hundreds of carpets for labeling and expects the process to standardize the quality of hand knotted carpets. Shah hopes that will lead to Kashmiri carpets being valued on a par for price and quality with the best Iranian and Turkish hand knotted carpets.

A geographical indication can also highlight a product’s human-made attributes, such as manufacturing skills and traditions. The quality of handicrafts often depends on local natural resources and techniques handed down from one generation to the next.
…

India is exploring the possibility of buying oil from Russia amid sanctions imposed by Western countries in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

India’s petroleum and natural gas minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, said in parliament Tuesday that the government was having discussions with Russia on crude oil purchases.

“I myself have had a conversation with the appropriate levels of the Russian federation. There are discussions currently underway,” he told lawmakers. Puri said that the government was looking at issues such as availability and payment for the crude.

A report in the Times of India newspaper said that India is close to finalizing a deal to buy 3.5 million barrels of Russian crude at “deep discounts.” It attributed the report to people aware of the development but who requested anonymity to discuss the matter.

India is the world’s third largest importer of oil, depending on crude from overseas for over 80% of its needs.

The bulk of its supplies come from the Middle East and the United States, with Russian crude accounting for only about three per cent of its imports.

But the wild fluctuation in international prices following the outbreak of fighting in Ukraine has raised worries about the impact of a ballooning oil import bill on the nascent economic recovery that the country has posted in the last year.

Analysts say New Delhi’s talks on the purchase of crude from Moscow signal that India will keep the doors to trade with Russia open.

Russia has urged India to increase oil exports and investment. In a statement last Friday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia’s oil and petroleum product exports to India have approached $1 billion and there are “clear opportunities to increase this figure.” He also told Petroleum Minister Puri that Moscow was “interested in further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding Russian companies’ sales networks in India.”

Asked about the possibility that India could take up the Russian offer of discounted crude oil at her daily press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “Our message to any country continues to be that abide by the sanctions that we have put in place and recommended. But I don’t believe this would be violating that (sanctions).”

“But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written in this moment in time. And support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact,” she added.

While the United States has banned Russian oil imports, the European Union has issued sanctions against some Russian companies without banning the purchase of Russian oil.

Resisting pressure from the United States and other Western allies, India has abstained from voting against Moscow at the United Nations. Analysts cite the country’s huge dependence on Russian weapons for its position.

India has called for an end to violence and a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. But New Delhi has found itself in a difficult situation as it tries to balance its longstanding ties with Russia with its growing strategic partnership with Washington, that is seen as critical in countering China.
…

More than six months after the U.S. pulled its last troops from Afghanistan, the threat from the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate is growing, though new intelligence assessments suggest that earlier warnings the group might be able to strike at America and its allies as early as next month appear to have been overblown.

Various intelligence estimates from the U.S. and other countries warn that the group, known as IS-Khorasan and ISIS-K, nearly doubled in size to more than 4,000 fighters during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year. The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia said Tuesday that without sustained pressure from the U.S. and U.S.-backed Afghan forces, the IS affiliate is solidifying its foothold.

“We are concerned about the developmental trajectory of ISIS-K,” U.S. Central Command’s General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie told U.S. lawmakers.

“We continue to watch carefully as ISIS grows,” he said. “ISIS has been able to execute some high-profile attacks even in Kabul over the last several months. … It is my expectation that ISIS attacks will ramp up as we go into the summer.”

But while IS-Khorasan remains dangerous, the group has not advanced its capabilities as quickly as some U.S. officials initially feared.

The Pentagon’s third-highest ranking official warned lawmakers in October that it appeared the group would be able to regenerate the capabilities needed to launch terror attacks on the West in as little as six months.

Since then, however, it appears IS-Khorasan under the leadership of Shahab al-Muhajir, also known as Sanaullah Ghafari, has focused more on its fortunes in Afghanistan.

Intelligence shared by United Nations member states indicates the group prioritized retaking territory and now controls some limited areas in eastern Afghanistan. Western intelligence officials and humanitarian groups have seen signs IS-Khorasan is laying the groundwork for expanding its networks among Afghanistan’s neighbors.

Perhaps as a result, the threat of an attack by IS-Khorasan in the West has somewhat diminished, at least for the moment.

The best U.S. intelligence estimates now indicate the soonest IS-Khorasan could launch terror attacks in the West is 12 to 18 months, McKenzie told lawmakers, cautioning the timeline could change depending on developments on the ground, where clashes with the ruling Taliban persist.

“[IS-Khorasan] still aspire to attack the United States and our partners abroad,” McKenzie said. “The Taliban are attempting to maintain pressure. … They’re finding it difficult to do.”

The U.S. is having its own problems tracking IS-Khorasan, as well as rival terror group, al-Qaida, limited largely to flying reconnaissance flights from neighboring Pakistan now that it no longer has troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

“It is much harder to do it now than it was before,” McKenzie told lawmakers, though he added, “It is not impossible.”

“We will be able to do this only so long as CENTCOM has the requisite resources to find, fix and finish threats to the homeland before those threats develop the capability to conduct external operations,” he said. “CENTCOM has the tools it needs to perform this mission, but the margins are thin, and the risk will increase should resources diminish.”

The CENTCOM commander also told lawmakers that the U.S. has not carried out any counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal from the country was completed.

Syria and Iraq

In contrast to Afghanistan, U.S. efforts to contain IS in Syria and Iraq are faring better, McKenzie said.

“In the Euphrates River Valley in Iraq and Syria, ISIS is unable to think beyond surviving that night or the next night,” he told lawmakers, crediting sustained pressure from Iraqi forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

But in Syria, concerns persist about the large, displaced persons camps, including al-Hol, which hold thousands of people, including the families of IS fighters.

The camps, McKenzie said, present IS with “fertile soil for indoctrination and spreading terror.”
…

Named one of Time magazine’s “Women of the Year,” Afghan journalist Zahra Joya says she is determined to keep reporting on women’s issues in Afghanistan.  

The 29-year-old founder of Rukhshana Media, an news agency run by and for women in Afghanistan, had to flee her country last year when the Taliban seized power.  

Now based in Britain, Joya runs her media outlet in exile, publishing the work of women still in Afghanistan who report about life under Taliban rule.  It’s a task that brings threats to her and her staff.

In an interview with VOA Pashto Managing Editor Shaista Lami, Joya said she was determined to keep reporting on the plight of Afghan women.

“It is extremely important for the world not to forget Afghan women now, at the time of their sufferance, and support them in their (fight) for their basic rights and press freedom in Afghanistan,” Joya said.  

This interview has been translated and edited for length and clarity.

How does it feel to be named a Time magazine woman of the year, and how has your life changed since the Taliban takeover?

I am happy that my name appears at this crucial time for the women of my country, at a time when they face many difficulties and restrictions.  

What did I do in the last six months? I did everything I could through our media outlet Rukhshana.  

For 10 years I have covered women’s issues in Afghanistan.

And I still continuously put my efforts together with the women who are out protesting. I did not give in to fear of the Taliban and have covered every gathering, every conference and every protest (these women) held in the streets of Kabul.

A large number of female journalists have left their jobs or the country for fear of Taliban punishment. How are you helping those still in Afghanistan from outside the country?

The Taliban imposed many restrictions on women and journalists. Many left the country and many more lost their jobs.

We know this is a hard time for Afghan women. However, I continue my work from here in Britain.  

I am leading Rukhshana from here, which is not an easy task. I am worried about my co-workers, and we are faced with countless restrictions. I feel sad, especially when I see so many serious issues to cover. 

I am still hopeful that we can endure the pressure, continue our fight for Afghan women and raise their voices.  

How do you connect with women still in Afghanistan?

We receive many stories, especially now that women are desperate for help and support.

A woman whose house was searched said Taliban were holding (her) and saying, “You took a video of house-to-house Taliban searches.” They searched her phone, deleted videos and harassed her father.  

We continue to hear these stories on daily basis, unfortunately. (These women) have lost hope and think the future is nothing but dark for them. 

So I continue my efforts as a journalist, to listen to their stories and to raise their voices.

This story originated in VOA’s Pashto Service.
…

India said Tuesday it is reviewing its plan of action for weapons systems, and it promised to fix any shortcomings after accidentally firing an unarmed supersonic missile into arch-rival Pakistan last week.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told lawmakers that his government had taken “serious note” of the incident and ordered a high-level probe to determine the cause of the firing. He assured parliament the country’s missile systems were “highly safe and reliable.”

“I would also like to state that a review of the standard operating procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted in the wake of this incident … If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified,” Singh stated. 

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi swiftly rejected Singh’s explanation, however, renewing Islamabad’s demand for New Delhi to agree to a joint probe into the incident, which he said had potentially devastating consequences not only for the region, but the entire world. 

“Let me remind you that it was a missile that’s capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and merely stating that it was an accident is not enough,” Qureshi told a news conference in the Pakistani capital.

“God forbid, if that accidental launch had triggered an accidental reaction [from Pakistan], do people realize the implications and consequence of that?” the foreign minister asked. “This missile could have led to an accidental war between two atomic states.”

Qureshi said he had spoken to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by telephone on Monday to draw his attention to the “grave nature” of the incident. Qureshi added that he also had written to the U.N. Security Council to underscore Pakistan’s demand for a joint investigation. 

The chief Pakistani diplomat said he had raised several “fundamental” questions in his letter to the council, asking for India to share details about the safety mechanisms “against accidental or unauthorized launch of missiles in a nuclearized environment,” and why New Delhi failed to immediately inform Pakistan afterward.

The misfiring of the unspecified surface-to-surface Indian missile took place on March 9.

A day later, the Pakistani military announced that an “unarmed supersonic missile” from India had landed deep inside Pakistan, damaging civilian property but causing no casualties.

Army spokesman Maj.-Gen. Babar Iftikhar told reporters the Pakistani air force had tracked the rocket well before it entered Pakistan’s airspace. He said the missile was flying at an altitude of about 12 kilometers before it “suddenly maneuvered toward Pakistani territory.”

Two days later, the Indian Defense Ministry in a brief statement acknowledged the missile misfired due to a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.

“While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident,” the Indian statement said last Friday.

Pakistan has since twice summoned the Indian envoy in Islamabad to the Foreign Ministry to protest the “irresponsible” act and “unprovoked violation of the airspace” by India.

On Monday, China urged India and Pakistan to establish a reporting mechanism for sharing information to avoid such incidents in the future.

“Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. 

The U.S. State Department spokesperson also was asked at a Monday news conference for Washington’s response to India’s accidental firing of the missile into Pakistan.

“Well, we have no indication, as you also heard from our Indian partners, that this incident was anything other than an accident … They [India] issued a statement … to explain precisely what had happened. We don’t have a comment beyond that,” Ned Price said. 

While Qureshi said he appreciated China’s statement, he criticized the U.S. spokesperson for not taking a “clear position” on the issue. “He [Price] understands its importance, but I am sorry to say he skirted the issue,” the foreign minister said.
…

The U.S. special envoy for Afghan women, Rina Amiri, says women’s rights in Afghanistan “suffered a tremendous setback” after the Taliban seized power in August, but that supporting Afghan women is “one area where there is solidarity” in the United States and international community.

Amiri, who was appointed as a special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights in December, said that the Taliban has “consistently” pledged to reopen girls’ schools, but that “education without a link to economic opportunities and without the ability to work is not very meaningful.”

In an interview with Breshna Omarkhel of VOA’s Afghan service, Amiri said that the international community “needs to step up and provide direct support” to Afghan women and civil society.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: In your opinion, have Afghan women lost their two-decade gains after the Taliban seized power in August 2021?

Rina Amiri: You know, on August 15, I think we all recognize that Afghan women and the Afghan population, in general, suffered a tremendous setback. Overnight, Afghan women and girls were shut out of schools, shut out of work, and prevented from participating in public and political life after two decades of tremendous gains. But my hope is that the achievements [to be preserved]. And we’ve already seen the tremendous resilience among Afghan women and girls and their determination to not turn the clock backwards.

VOA: How would you respond to some of the activists saying that the U.S. and the international community have left Afghan women to the mercy of the Taliban?

Rina Amiri: I’m sympathetic to them. I think that it’s understandable that, you know, I was speaking to Afghan women inside the country in the months that led up to the Taliban takeover and on the day of and I, you know, I heard the devastation of their voice and just the level of disbelief that suddenly overnight they were, these were women who were serving as ministers, as parliamentarians, as lawyers as judges, as shopkeepers, that suddenly all of that was being taken away when they had received such support from the international community. So, I can see where that frustration, and that dismay, comes from. But one area where there’s solidarity is the issue of Afghan women’s rights. There is support among Republicans among Democrats, among the country as a whole. So, this and, you know, I’ve had the benefit now, not just in this job but in all the work that I’ve done in the last two decades to be able to speak to a wide variety of countries, civil society actors throughout the world; and they always ask me when they find out that I am from Afghan heritage, the first thing they ask me is what they can do to support Afghan women’s rights. And that hasn’t changed. In fact, that has been amplified since August 15th. 

VOA:  We know that the Taliban have imposed strict rules and are imposing new restrictions on women. What can the U.S. and the international community do to ensure that women in Afghanistan have their very basic rights? Does the U.S. have any leverage on the Taliban?

Rina Amiri: I think there are multiple areas to work on. First, I think it’s supporting Afghan women themselves, supporting them not just as victims, but as leaders. These women have shown tremendous courage, tremendous resilience and should not just be treated as victims to be helped, but leadership voices that need to be lifted and to be supported and to be leveraged. And they also need more direct support, and this is a case that I’m making in the U.S. government and to the international community that Afghan women have been stripped of their rights inside the country, but that the donor community needs to step up and provide direct support so that Afghan women, civil society organizations are sustained and that they’re supported to carry out their work. That is something that must continue. So that’s one element. Two is, you know, since I started, I’ve had the opportunity to engage the Taliban directly along with other international actors on a wide variety of issues. And what I’ve been reassured by is that it’s not just my position. My role, my mandate, is to leverage and to prioritize the situation of Afghan women and girls and human rights. But I’ve heard from every single special representative that has been sitting next to me at these tables, including the U.S. special representative, Tom West, the European special representative, those from Muslim majority countries, making the case that the Taliban, the Afghan women’s rights are not negotiable and that they are out of step if they believe that they can strip women’s educational rights, economic rights and their right and their responsibility to participate in the social life of the political life of the country.

VOA: Are women’s rights a condition for the Taliban’s recognition?

Rina Amiri: What is very clear is: for the Taliban to have any level of legitimacy both inside the country and with the international community, they have to enable women’s rights, they have to protect women’s rights and they have to advance women’s rights. And to some degree, I hear that they understand that reality. They have, I think if you look at the course that they’ve taken in the last seven months on some areas, they have recognized that they need to move for example, in the area of education. They have now consistently said that they are going to be opening up schools for girls. They’ve opened up university-level education in some areas.

And what they said to me which was most encouraging is that they are going to open up schools for girls not just because the international community wants it but because it’s a principle of Islam. So that’s an area where I think that there has been some progress. What I note to them is that education without a link to economic opportunity and without the ability to work is not very meaningful because for Afghan families, it’s a very pragmatic issue. They educate their girls so that they could put food on the table so that they can have a future of economic sustainability. 

VOA: What are the United States’ key demands from the Taliban, especially about women? What exactly does the U.S. want the Taliban to change?

Rina Amiri: The U.S. has consistently said that the Taliban have to respect the fundamental rights of women, girls and all Afghan citizens, including vulnerable populations, minorities. One is to put forward a process in that country. Right now, the Taliban are in a position where they are saying that they are prepared to govern the country, and the U.S. position has been that governing the country would require an inclusive and transparent process that brings in the voices of all Afghans and women in particular that they have to be able to return to school at all levels, not just the primary and secondary but primary, secondary, tertiary across the country and every part of the country.
…

In a significant judgement, an Indian court has upheld a ban imposed in the southern state of Karnataka on wearing the hijab in schools and colleges, asserting the hijab is not an essential practice of Islam.

The ruling Tuesday came in response to petition by a group of Muslim women who had challenged the ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf in classrooms in Karnataka, which is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

The judgement could deepen religious fault lines in a country where critics say Muslims, who are India’s largest minority, face discrimination under the BJP. It could also have implications for other states where students from India’s largest minority often wear the headscarf in class.

The controversy over the hijab erupted in Karnataka when authorities in a pre-university college barred six Muslim girls from attending classes wearing the head scarf. The issue soon became a flashpoint triggering protests by Muslim students who said they were being deprived of their fundamental rights and counter protests by Hindu boys who turned up wearing saffron scarves, the color associated with Hinduism.

As religious tensions spiraled, more government-run institutions banned the hijab and the state government asserted it has the right to mandate a dress code for students.

In its ruling, the court said that guidelines on uniforms prescribed by authorities for students were a “reasonable restriction on fundamental rights.”

“We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice,” said the chief justice of the Karnataka high court, Ritu Raj Awasthi, in the judgement.

A federal minister called on people to abide by the order. “I appeal to everyone that the state and country has to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of high court,” said Prahlad Joshi, federal minister for parliamentary affairs. “The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united.”

Karnataka’s chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, also urged female Muslim students who are staying away from classes to protest the ban to respect the judgement and return to school.

But several prominent Muslim politicians expressed disappointment at the ruling. “Regardless of what you may think about the hijab, it’s not about an item of clothing, it’s about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didn’t uphold this basic right is a travesty,” said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah.

Ahead of the verdict, the state government had restricted large gatherings and shut educational institutions in some areas to prevent protests.

The ruling will likely be appealed to India’s Supreme Court.

Several rights activists have thrown their weight behind the students in Karnataka and questioned the ban, pointing out that there had been no objections to wearing it in classrooms earlier.

Some Muslim rights activists said that while they agreed that wearing a hijab was not an essential practice in Islam, the ban was selective and discriminatory.

“We are in a multi faith country where religion is all around us. We have members of parliament who often wear saffron robes. So if somebody believes in wearing the hijab, they should be allowed to do so,” said Zakia Soman, founder of a Muslim women’s group Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. “This ruling could harm the Muslim community because conservative parents might make girls drop out of school. Girls’ education should continue with or without the hijab.”

She pointed out that the issue has already deepened the fault lines between the majority Hindu community and Muslims, who make up about 14 percent of the population. “The views on both sides are extremely polarized. It will only help both the right on both sides, whether it is Hindus or Muslim,” Soman said.

In the months before the controversy over the hijab erupted, the Karnataka state government also banned the sale and slaughter of cows, which Hindus consider sacred, and introduced a tough anti-conversion bill, which proposes prison terms for up to 10 years for unlawful religious conversions and could make it more difficult for interfaith couples to marry or for people to convert to Islam or Christianity.
…

The Afghan Embassy and two consulates in the United States will cease operations at noon March 23, Afghan diplomats say.

Officials from the U.S. State Department met Afghan diplomats on Monday to inform them about what they call an “orderly shutdown of operation” of the three Afghan missions.

The move comes seven months after the fall of the former Afghan government in Kabul and several months of administrative and diplomatic wrangling in Washington.

Under the shutdown plan, the State Department’s Office of Foreign Missions will take over the protection and preservation of the embassy in Washington and the consulates in New York and Los Angeles.

The tricolor national flag of Afghanistan, which the new Taliban regime replaced with their white banner, will remain hoisted at the Afghan diplomatic buildings in the U.S., according to two Afghan diplomats.

Most of the nearly 100 Afghan diplomats who were stationed in the U.S. have already either applied for asylum in the U.S. or have moved to Canada, but there are about 25 diplomats who will have to change their immigration status in the U.S. by April 23.

U.S. officials had previously indicated that only Adela Raz could continue her core duties as Afghan ambassador to the U.S., and the assignments of the rest of the Afghan diplomatic corps would terminate, according to a January 18 letter purportedly sent to the Afghan Embassy and which an Afghan diplomat shared with VOA.

The Afghan diplomats mulled over the offer collectively and rejected it, the diplomat said.

Only financial problems?

U.S. officials maintain that severe financial burdens have crippled the operations of the Afghan diplomatic missions.

Afghan diplomats have not received their salaries since October 2021, and there have been issues with paying the utility and insurance bills for the three diplomatic premises.

The diplomats also lost access to their bank accounts last year, prompting them to channel consular service fees to their personal bank accounts.

State Department officials say the decision to suspend the embassy’s bank accounts was taken by Citibank, which is independent of a U.S. government intervention.

Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy and a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, told VOA the bank accounts issue is primarily financial.

“I am pretty sure there is no political motivation,” he said.

“We are taking this action for very pragmatic reasons rather than for any particular policy reasons,” a State Department official said Friday.

Two Afghan diplomats and one very senior official in the former Afghan government, however, told VOA the State Department’s decision was not driven by the financial hurdles facing the Afghan missions.

“The embassy and the consulates were making sufficient income from consular services,” said the former senior official who has maintained contacts with Afghan embassies around the world and asked for anonymity.

“We have more than $700,000 in our suspended bank accounts,” an Afghan diplomat said.

No sign of Taliban recognition

The U.S. is the first country to close its Afghan embassy. Afghan embassies in European countries, Canada, Russia, Australia and several other nations remain open. Afghanistan’s permanent mission at the United Nations in New York will also continue its operation.

An Afghan ambassador in a European capital told VOA he had received assurances from the host country that he would be able to continue his official duties.

“They even offered financial support,” said the ambassador, who asked not to be identified.

So far, no country has recognized the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan, but many have held diplomatic engagements with Taliban officials. Last week, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister took part in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey, where he met U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West, among officials from several other countries.

U.S. officials say in closing the Afghan embassy they did not consult with Taliban officials and that the move does not imply a desire to recognize the Taliban’s de facto government.

“I do not think this means anything for the U.S. relationship with the Taliban acting government,” Robin Raphel, a former U.S. diplomat, told VOA.

Neumann echoed a similar understanding, saying, “To the best of my knowledge, there is no U.S. government intention or interest in establishing relations with the Taliban.”

Stateless diplomats

Despite the collapse of the former Afghan government and the flight from Afghanistan of nearly all former officials, including President Ashraf Ghani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Afghan diplomats have insisted they still represent Afghanistan abroad.

Through his verified Twitter handle, which carries his title as “Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” Atmar tweets as if he is still in charge of Afghan diplomatic missions abroad.

In practice, however, diplomats have defied him.

In December, after Atmar wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres introducing a new acting head for the Afghan mission at the U.N., incumbent acting representative Naseer Faiq refused to step down, saying Atmar had lost the “legitimacy and authority” to appoint new diplomats.

“Every ambassador acts as a sovereign entity, and there is no chain of command,” a current Afghan ambassador to a European country, told VOA.

“We continue to operate not because we’ve legitimacy, but because the world hates the Taliban,” he added.
…

A week-long measles vaccination campaign is underway in Afghanistan where the World Health Organization (WHO) says the extremely contagious viral disease has killed 142 children and infected 18,000 since the start of the year.

“This measles immunization campaign is part of the national response measure to stop the spread of the outbreak, save lives of the young children and reduce the burden on health systems,” a WHO statement quoted its representative in Afghanistan, Luo Dapeng, as saying on Monday.

The WHO-funded campaign, kicked off Saturday, is supporting the de facto Taliban health authorities in the management of the vaccination.

Thousands of health workers have been tasked to inoculate more than 1.2 million children under five against the disease across 49 Afghan districts in 24 provinces.

Afghanistan has experienced measles resurgence since January 2021. Authorities have since reported 48,366 infections and 250 deaths from the viral disease.

The low routine measles immunization coverage of 66% and longer interval since the measles follow-up campaign in 2018 have resulted in the accumulation of the high number of children under five years old with no measles immunization, said WHO.

Dapeng appealed to parents to bring their children in for vaccination against the life-threatening but preventable disease, urging everyone in the war-ravaged country to ensure the safety of Afghan health workers.

Last month, eight polio vaccinators, including four women, were shot dead during a door-to-door vaccination campaign against the crippling disease in two northern Afghan provinces.

“The rise in measles cases in Afghanistan is especially concerning because of the extremely high levels of malnutrition,” Dapeng said.

The health emergency comes as officials at the United Nations say decades of conflict, a devastating drought, a collapsing economy and the impact of international sanctions on Taliban rulers are causing “irreparable damage” to Afghan children.

The U.N. estimates that around 23 million people, more than half of Afghanistan’s population, need humanitarian assistance. It says one in three people faces acute hunger and two million children are malnourished.
…

The Chinese city of Shenzhen is in lockdown, following an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Shenzhen, often described as China’s Silicon Valley, is home to several Apple suppliers, including Foxconn.

The city’s public transportation has closed, and residents are being tested.

Meanwhile, former U.S. president Barack Obama has tested positive for COVID, but his wife Michelle has not. Both are vaccinated.

“Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” Obama posted on Facebook. “It’s a good reminder that, even as cases go down, you should get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already to help prevent more serious symptoms and giving COVID to others.”

India announced Monday that it is opening its COVID vaccination campaign to 12-to-14-year-olds. Previously, vaccination was limited to those 15 years old and older.

India’s Health Ministry also announced Monday that everyone over 60 is eligible for the COVID vaccine. Previously, people were with a potential co-morbidity condition were not eligible to receive the shot.

“It’s really miraculous that we were able to see the scientific advancements we needed to have vaccines for this illness generated in less than a year after the pandemic was declared,” Mihir Mankad, Doctors Without Borders-USA’s senior advisor for global health advocacy and policy, said in a recent statement. “But what we have failed at doing, and we continue to fail at doing, is to ensure that these tools are equitably available across the world.”

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centers reports there have been more than 6 million global deaths related to the coronavirus.
…

In an effort to alleviate the environmental degradation in Mumbai caused by urbanization, a nonprofit group is spearheading a project to grow ‘food forests’ in the city. These forests consist of hundreds of trees and edible plants grown on small strips of land. Anjana Pasricha reports from Mumbai.
…

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warns humanitarian and economic issues are likely to claim more lives in Afghanistan than conflict. 

Bachelet recently made a one-day trip to the Afghan capital, Kabul, where she conveyed this message to the Taliban rulers. While there, she stressed the importance of respecting the human rights of all people. Bachelet said this was key to finding a pathway out of the country’s economic, humanitarian, and human rights crisis.

The high commissioner’s spokeswoman, Liz Throssell, tells VOA Bachelet emphasized the importance of inclusivity in navigating the way out of the multiple crises facing Afghanistan. Throssell says the high commissioner told the Taliban authorities the societies that are more sustainable and peaceful are those that consider their people as part of the solution, rather than as antagonists to be suppressed.

“The high commissioner stressed that it is crucial to urgently address what has really and rightly been described as the catastrophic effects of the economic sanctions and asset freezes… Even though there has been a decline in hostilities, the multiple humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan may, in fact claim far more lives than actual conflict,” she said.

The United Nations reports 22 million people, more than half of Afghanistan’s population, need humanitarian assistance. It says one in three people faces acute hunger, two million children are malnourished, and more than three-and-a-half million people are internally displaced. Aid agencies report women and girls are particularly vulnerable and face protection risks.

Throssell says the high commissioner met a range of people who were able to voice their concerns. She says Bachelet met women who spoke about their struggles against injustice in the country. They expressed their need to regain the rights they had achieved over the past two decades before the Taliban retook the country last August.

“They needed their rights to freedom of expression, of peaceful assembly, to be free from the fear of reprisals, to be able to engage in politics, to be able to train as health care workers, and of course to be able to have an education,” said Throssell.

The new Taliban rulers say they hope to be able to open all schools for girls later this month. When the group was last in power in the late 1990s, girls were banned from attending schools and women from leaving home unless accompanied by a close male relative.

At the end of her visit, the high commissioner urged the international community to ease sanctions and unfreeze assets. She said this crucially would help to jump start the Afghan economy and relieve the suffering of millions of people.
…

In a patch of land on the sprawling grounds of a school in the heart of Mumbai, environmental activist George Remedios and two volunteers dig the soil to plant some saplings in a “food forest” that lies tucked amid tall concrete buildings.

“This time I have brought a few fruit tree saplings, a few flowering tree saplings to bring in pollinators as well as some chili pepper saplings, which will add to the food that is grown over here,” says Remedios, who has founded the volunteer group, The Turning Tide.

This miniature replication of a forest has been created over the last three years by planting shorter trees, shrubs and creepers in different layers under towering coconut trees. They are all fruiting trees or edible plants.

This food forest is one of a dozen such edible islands that the group has grown in and around Mumbai. The inspiration: disappearing green spaces in a densely packed city of more than 20 million that has lost about 40% of its green cover in the last 30 years amid relentless urbanization.

After spending years planting trees along roadsides and highways to compensate for the loss, Remedios says he hit upon the idea of turning unused strips of land in schools, orphanages and old age homes into “food forests.”

“We are fed up of the environmental conditions and the rampant construction you see all around. I have friends who lost parents to lung cancer. My own mom had asthma and struggled with bad air quality,” says Remedios. “I knew trees are something that not only give us oxygen, they shade, protect us from the heat, as well as pull in particulate matter, acting like buffers, like a carbon sink.”

Creating a food forest was not easy. The first step was to regenerate the degraded soil to create a forest bed. Dry leaves that usually end up in landfills came in handy. The school also began composting both garden and kitchen waste, helping to cut short the biological process of creating fertile soil.

In the last three years, trees like papaya and pomegranate are among those flourishing under tall coconut trees. In their midst lies an unused slide and merry-go-round — reminders of an old school playground. Amid the clump of trees, the sound of chirping birds replaces the incessant sound of traffic.

The food forest fulfills other functions. It prevents waterlogging that is common in a city that experiences a heavy monsoon. It serves as a waste management system, saving the institutions where they have been planted hundreds of dollars that would have been paid to cart away the garden waste.

The project runs with the help of volunteers who usually turn up on weekends to nurture it in different ways. As city resident Floyd Almeida digs into the earth to plant a sapling, he re-establishes the connection with nature lost when his low-lying childhood home was replaced with a tall building. The upmarket area around the school once consisted of bungalows surrounded by trees but soaring land prices have altered the skyline.

“It’s so good to get your hands dirty, pick up the mud and the trash,” says Almeida as he prepares the soil for a chili seedling. “It is so beautiful, because you have birds, and bees. You come in the morning to work here, it is like music when the birds whistle, it is so good.”

Another city resident, Jasmine Bagri, brings a lemongrass seedling to be planted in the food forest. She says it is important for ordinary people to do something practical to save the environment and improve cities that have degraded under the pressure of huge populations. “It is very easy to sit, to have a conference, a WhatsApp group and talk about it, but instead of doing that, if you can plant even one sapling, that would really help,” says Bagri.

As schools reopen after nearly two years of COVID restrictions, Remedios hopes the forest planted in the middle of the school yard will also help young children learn more about nature.

Three years ago, when he gave up his job in advertising to turn into a fulltime environmentalist, he says he was the butt of many jokes and much skepticism. “People called me the village idiot,” he recalls.

Now the forest is becoming a draw. “I want to stay here. I feel like working, I actually want to dig in. I can see so many small plants, I want to pick them up and plant them somewhere,” Bagri says with a laugh. “These are heaven, these are places which we should cherish and have more.”

“The Turning Tide” is spreading its wings to other cities – it is growing similar green patches in Pune, where Remedios has relocated temporarily.

And after a morning’s hard labor, the food forest is also a perfect place to unwind – as the volunteers leave, he pulls up a chair and pulls out a book to spend some time reading under the shade of trees.
…

Pakistan has formally commissioned a first batch of six Chinese J-10C fighter aircraft into its air force at a special ceremony, with Prime Minister Imran Khan and heads of the country’s armed forces in attendance. 

A Pakistan Air Force commentary during a nationally televised induction event Friday called the Chinese jet the “Dragon from the East,” saying the “omni-role” aircraft is armed with advanced electronics weapons. 

Last month, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed disclosed the purchase of the jets at a public event, saying the aircraft will serve as a counterweight to India’s deployment of French Dassault Rafale planes. Ahmed said a full squadron of 25 Chinese J-10C aircraft will take part in the Pakistan Day military parade on March 23 in the capital, Islamabad. 

Pakistani officials said the agreement with China to acquire the J-10C was signed in June 2021.  

“I am especially grateful to China and thank China on behalf of my nation for providing us these jets in record time of around eight months,” Khan said during Friday’s ceremony at the Kamra air base, about 74 kilometers northwest of the capital city, where Chinese diplomats and military officials were also in attendance. 

“An attempt is being made to create a (security) imbalance in the sub-continent,” the prime minister said, referring to an Indian defense buildup. “This is a big addition today to our defense system to address the security imbalance.” 

Pakistan and India, bitter nuclear-armed adversaries, have fought three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. The long-running territorial dispute over divided Kashmir remains the primary source of bilateral military tensions. 

Air force chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber described Friday’s induction of J-10C jets as a historic moment in the history of Pakistan. 

“Today, after a gap of almost four decades, the Pakistan air force is inducting (a) next generation combat system,” Baber said. “The last such event was in 1982 when F-16 aircraft joined the Pakistani fleet,” he added, referring to a U.S.-built aircraft. 

The United States has sold and upgraded F-16 jets to Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally. 

The J-10C is not the only advanced weapons system Beijing has delivered to Pakistan recently. Earlier this year, the Pakistan navy in its fleet inducted the first of four Type 054A/P frigates developed by China under a bilateral agreement.  

Friday’s ceremony came a day after Pakistan alleged an unarmed surface-to-surface Indian “supersonic missile” landed deep inside its territory, causing minor damage to civilian property but no casualties. Islamabad also lodged a protest over what it condemned as a “flagrant” violation of Pakistani airspace by the neighboring country. New Delhi confirmed Friday that “in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile.” An official statement said the government has taken “a serious view” and ordered an inquiry into the incident.   

Analysts say Islamabad’s often strained ties with Washington have prompted the South Asian nation to increasingly rely on close ally China to augment Pakistan’s defenses and restore ties with bitter Cold War adversary Russia. 

Khan visited Moscow last week and met with President Vladimir Putin hours after the Russian leader ordered his military to invade Ukraine.  

Islamabad has since resisted U.S.-led Western pressure to condemn Russia, instead advocating dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis. Some policy analysts say the Russian action has intensified Pakistan’s diplomatic tensions with the Biden administration. 

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, speaking earlier this week, dismissed suggestions his country’s ties with Washington had come under renewed pressure over Khan’s visit with Putin.  

“I think our relationship with the United States is a good one. We consider the United States an important partner and we would like continued support from the U.S.,” Qureshi told VOA in an interview. 
…

India on Friday confirmed an “accidental firing of a missile” into rival Pakistan, calling it “deeply regrettable.”

The confirmation comes more than a day after the Pakistani military said an Indian “unarmed supersonic” missile had struck its territory Wednesday evening, damaging civilian property but causing no casualties. Pakistani officials demanded an explanation from New Delhi for the “irresponsible” act that could have endangered regional security.

An official Indian statement explained Friday that “in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile.” It noted that the Indian government had taken a “serious view and ordered a high-level” investigation into the incident.

“It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan,” the statement said. “While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of [life] due to the accident.”

Pakistan army spokesman Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar officially disclosed details of the incident at news conference late Thursday, denouncing it as a “flagrant” violation, saying the rocket landed in the town of Mian Channu in the eastern border province of Punjab.

“Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain. It nevertheless shows their disregard for aviation safety and reflects very poorly on their technological prowess and procedural efficiency,” Iftikhar lamented.

Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Washington-based Wilson Center, said the accidental strike shows how quickly an incident of this kind could escalate into something worse.

“This was a case of an Indian missile flying at supersonic speed across nearly 80 miles of Pakistani territory. Had this happened amid an actual security crisis, the escalation potential would be profound. And that’s nothing to sneeze at, given that we’re talking about two nuclear-armed states here,” Kugelman told VOA.

“Mistake or not, an incident like this has the potential to be escalatory in nature. The good news is this incident was handled well by both sides, to prevent any escalation.”

General Iftikhar said that the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster and civilian casualties on the ground.

“It is important to highlight that the flight path of this object endangered many international and domestic passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace, as well as human life and property on the ground,” Iftikhar said.

Iftikhar said Pakistan’s air defense system picked up the surface-to-surface missile as soon as it took off from the Indian city of Sirsa, about 104 kilometers from the border between the two countries, and “continuously monitored” its complete flight path.

The general explained that the rocket was flying at an altitude of 12 kilometers and stayed in Pakistani airspace for roughly 204 seconds before ending up 124 kilometers inside Pakistan. He would not say whether the Indian missile was shot down.

Pakistani Federal Minister Asad Umar claimed in a tweet from Friday’s that the country’s air force had shot down the Indian missile.

Both India and Pakistan, bitter adversaries, are nuclear armed and have fought each other in three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Bilateral ties have deteriorated in recent years and disrupted official talks over the divided Kashmir region, which both countries claim in its entirety.
…

After making a dramatic escape from Kabul last August, Zarifa Ghafari, once Afghanistan’s youngest female mayor, vowed to return to her native country.

“Leaving [Afghanistan] doesn’t mean I’ve left forever,” she told VOA after evacuating to Germany. “I’m optimistic that I’ll return to my country very soon.”

Last week, she made good on her word. But no sooner had she announced her arrival in Kabul on Twitter and Facebook — “I’ve come to my people!” — than her return set off a social media quarrel among Taliban critics and boosters.

While many praised her courage to return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to deliver badly needed humanitarian aid, others accused her of coddling the militant group.

“The Taliban will leave you alone because you’re a Talib,” one Twitter user wrote.

Added another commentator, “So what was the reason for your departure [in August]? Aren’t [today’s] Taliban the same as yesterday’s Taliban?”

In an interview with VOA, Ghafari responded to her critics.

“Unfortunately, critics who have moved from Afghanistan to the West have an unstable view,” she said. “I’m sure most of their families are living in extreme poverty, and if helping the desperate nation amounts to solidarity with the Taliban, this is a good thing.”

Ghafari is one of only a handful of public figures known to have returned to Afghanistan in recent months following the U.S.-led evacuation of more than 124,000 people in August.

In November, popular TV comedian Ibrahim Abed went back. In February, the Taliban welcomed Abdul Salam Rahimi, a peace minister in former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government.

Their “homecoming” has added to a raging debate over just how much the Taliban have changed since their last repressive rule in the 1990s. While Taliban officials claim they’ve moderated their ways, critics remain skeptical, citing, among other things, the group’s crackdown on rights activists and others.

Ghafari, 30, finds herself in the eye of the controversy in part because she was once among the Taliban’s fiercest critics. In 2018, she became Afghanistan’s youngest mayor when she was put in charge of Maidan Shahr, a small town 46 kilometers southeast of Kabul.

Opposition to her appointment in the conservative province was swift and severe. But despite death threats and assassination attempts, she remained on the job for three years, winning international recognition for her defiance of the Taliban.

In late 2020, Ghafari’s father, an army special forces commander, was gunned down in Kabul, and she later blamed the Taliban for his death. With Taliban forces closing in on her city, Ghani appointed her as a senior Defense Ministry official in early 2021.

After the Taliban seized power, Ghafari and her family evacuated to Germany. She later told VOA she feared for her family’s safety and vowed to “raise the unspoken voice of Afghan women throughout the world.”

As she made the rounds in recent months criticizing the Taliban, Afghanistan descended into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

“As an Afghan, I couldn’t just sit and watch it from abroad and not do anything about it,” she told VOA’s Afghan Service.

Former co-workers, she said, warned her about the risks of returning.

“Their advice was that the risk is extremely high but sacrificing for public service is a victory for history,” she said. “As in the past, I’ve chosen the path of sacrifice.”

But Ghafari said whatever apprehension she had disappeared as she flew into Kabul on a flight full of women in late February.

“What gave me reassurance was these women. When I landed, I was apprehensive. But no one said anything to me. Nothing happened [to me],” she said.

Despite imposing many restrictions, the Taliban allowed women to work in media and attend university. But Ghafari said she has no interest in working for them. She has forsworn politics and instead wants to carry out humanitarian work through her NGO, Assistance and Promotion for Afghan Women.

“I just want to work for the people without any political, personal … or foreign goals,” she said.

Ghafari is circumspect about her plans to stay in Afghanistan. “Contrary to expectations, I have a long-term plan to travel both at home and abroad to draw the world’s attention to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” she told VOA.

On Monday, she traveled to Abu Dhabi where she and a former Afghan member of parliament received Forbes magazine’s Changemaker Award.

At the award ceremony, she said the Taliban are “capable of changing.”

“The Taliban do not stone women in public … as they did in the past. They do not torture women without a male companion, but instead are opening the doors of schools and universities to them,” she said. “If someone tries to reform himself, the world has a responsibility to help him.”

On social media, the comments prompted charges that she’s normalizing the Taliban.

“You’ve sold out,” one commenter wrote in response to her speech. “You’re a big part of the Taliban normalization project.”

But others came to her defense.

“Thank you for presenting the real picture of Afghans to the world,” a Facebook user named Saifullah Samim wrote. “Also invite other activists to serve their country.”

This story originated in VOA’s Afghanistan Service.
…

Pakistan’s military said Thursday that an Indian “unarmed supersonic missile” had struck its territory, damaging civilian property but causing no casualties.

“Pakistan strongly protests this flagrant violation and cautions against recurrence of any such incident in the future,” army spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar told reporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

“Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain,” he demanded, saying the “provocative” Indian act took place Wednesday evening.

There was no immediate response from India.

Iftikhar said Pakistan’s air defense system picked up the surface-to-surface rocket as soon as it took off from the Indian city of Sirsa, about 104 kilometers from the border between the two countries, and “continuously monitored” its complete flight path.

“From its initial course, the object suddenly maneuvered towards Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s airspace, ultimately falling near Mian Channu,” he said.

The general explained that the missile was flying at an altitude of 12 kilometers and stayed in Pakistani airspace for roughly 204 seconds before ending up 124 kilometers inside Pakistan in the eastern border province of Punjab.

“And when it fell, it also damaged some civilian property. Thankfully, no loss or injury to human life was caused,” he said, noting that there were no sensitive military installations in the area of impact.

But Iftikhar said the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster and civilian casualties on the ground.

“It is important to highlight that the flight path of this object endangered many international and domestic passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace, as well as human life and property on the ground,” he said.

Vice Marshal Tariq Zia, a senior Pakistani air force officer, told reporters that aviation experts were still examining remnants of the high-speed rocket.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry later summoned the Indian charge d’affaires in Islamabad to lodge a formal protest over the “unprovoked” violation of Pakistan airspace.

“Such irresponsible incidents were also reflective of India’s disregard for air safety and callousness towards regional peace and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.

It called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.

Pakistan and India have fought each other in three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

The long-running territorial dispute over the divided Kashmir region remains the primary source of tension between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.

The two countries came close to another war in February 2019 when Pakistan’s air force shot down an Indian fighter plane and captured its pilot after a dogfight over the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir.

The aerial combat came just hours after Indian warplanes conduced a strike in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, against an alleged militant training camp. Islamabad rejected the charges as baseless.
…

In India, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to retain power in the country’s most politically influential state, Uttar Pradesh, putting the Hindu nationalist party in a strong position ahead of 2024 general elections and cementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s position as India’s most powerful leader in decades.

The BJP’s impressive performance in regional elections came despite concerns that a sputtering economy, high unemployment, a farmers’ protest and widespread complaints of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic would hurt its chances in the voting that was held in five states. The nearly month-long process ended March 7.

The party was also ahead of its rivals in three other areas — the northern state of Uttarakhand, the northeastern state of Manipur and the western state of Goa.

“This gives the BJP a big advantage in terms of controlling the political agenda and narrative going ahead,” said Rahul Verma at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi. “The BJP was having trouble winning state elections since 2014 when it came to power. Now, winning four states will consolidate Modi’s popularity.”

Separately, an already weakened opposition Congress Party was further decimated, losing the only state where it was in power in this round of voting.

But it is the BJP’s performance in Uttar Pradesh, the biggest political prize in India, that is drawing attention – it will mark the first time in more than three decades that an incumbent party is on course to return to power in the state. The BJP had swept the state five years ago, and although it is losing some seats, it is on course to a convincing victory.

India’s most populous state, which sends the most lawmakers to parliament, is governed by a Hindu monk-turned-politician, Yogi Adityanath, whose term has been marked by what critics say are anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric. Adityanath, who always appears in public clad in saffron robes — the hallmark of a Hindu priest — has passed strict laws banning slaughter of cows, which Hindus consider holy, and passed a law that makes interfaith marriage harder.

Adityanath’s victory over the regional Samajwadi Party, which put up a spirited fight, will consolidate his position as one of the BJP’s front-line leaders and be seen as an endorsement of his Hindu first policies.

“It is very much possible that the BJP now doubles down on their Hindu first agenda but that cannot alone bring them to power. So, to win elections, the focus is also strongly on welfare benefits for disadvantaged sections, plus of course the leadership of Modi,” says Verma.

Along with Adityanath, Modi had campaigned extensively in the state, wooing voters with policies such as free rations for the poor during the pandemic, a crackdown on crime and its development policies.

Political analysts say opposition parties were not able to capitalize on disenchantment with the BJP because of the party’s ability to mobilize the strong base it has built in the state in recent years and its core appeal to many Hindus. They are voters like Bablu Tyagi, a young farmer from Didoli village.

“We have made sweets to distribute to everyone,” said an ecstatic Tyagi, as the results poured in. “I am really happy. My religion is very important to me but of course I also want development.”

For India’s main opposition Congress Party, the results brought more evidence of its decline as a national force as it was ousted from the northern Punjab state by a regional party.

The political fortunes of the once-powerful party that ruled India for nearly six decades have plummeted since 2014 and many questions have been raised over the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who has been unable to emerge as a credible alternative to Modi.

Besides the BJP, one other party had reason to celebrate – the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is winning Punjab with a massive majority. The regional party, which is a relative newcomer to Indian politics, has been in power in Delhi for two consecutive terms, but it has national ambitions and is trying to widen its footprint in other states. Its victory in Punjab is seen as the first step in that direction.

Upbeat party leaders said they were now ready to take on Modi nationally.

“I see AAP becoming a national force. AAP is going to be the national and natural replacement of the Congress,” party spokesman Raghav Chadha told the NDTV television channel.

Some regional parties, which have a strong presence in several states, are exploring the possibility of coming together to fight the BJP at a national level in 2024. But the Hindu nationalist party’s strong performance in this round of regional voting shows that the task will be a challenge, especially as the Congress Party has been further weakened.

“The national opposition is getting further marginalized so in the short run there is going to be a big gap between the BJP and any other party that is going to compete for the second slot,” points out Verma.
…

Kyrgyzstan has suspended a TV station, detained its director and questioned its journalists on accusations of incitement.

The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) says it has opened a criminal case into NEXT TV over posts on Telegram and Facebook in which an interviewee claimed Kyrgyzstan had agreed to provide military assistance to Russia in Ukraine.

The Kyrgyz Defense Ministry denied the claim. Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry also rejected the claim and said local media should base reporting on official government statements only.

Authorities arrested NEXT TV director Taalai Duishembiev on March 3 and later ordered that he be held in pretrial detention.

Duishembiev was accused of “inciting interregional hostility,” according to his attorney, Akmat Alagushev.

“The channel’s operations have been suspended, its director, Taalai Duishembiev, has been detained for two months, and staff interrogated by the officials,” Alagushev told reporters.

The attorney said the media outlet had cited on its social media platforms the comments of a Kazakhstan official. The attorney also said he didn’t think the station should have been stopped from broadcasting.

NEXT TV journalist Perizat Saitburkhan, whom authorities questioned, told reporters she had been asked about the media outlet’s activities, funding and owner, Ravshan Jeenbekov.

Jeenbekov is an opposition politician who was twice jailed, including for alleged involvement in a deadly clash with security and supporters of a former president in 2019. Jeenbekov has denied the allegations in that case, which is ongoing.

In a comment posted to social media, Jeenbekov described the action against NEXT TV as a crackdown on press freedom.

“The SCNS wants to imprison not only Taalai, but all journalists, freedom of speech and the opposition,” Jeenbekov wrote on Facebook.

He added that he had been under pressure for months to shutter NEXT TV.

Critics speak out

Kyrgyzstan’s ombudsman and members of civil society criticized the action against the privately owned station.

Ombudsman Atyr Abdrakhmatova called on the SCNS to respect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the media and on the judiciary to assess the measures taken against NEXT TV.

In a joint statement, Kyrgyzstan’s media and civil society members also called for authorities to respect press freedom.

“We consider the action against NEXT TV as a continuation of the movement to suppress freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan,” the statement said, adding that journalists from other outlets had previously come under pressure.

Media expert Daniyar Sadiyev criticized the decision to suspend the station while an investigation was in progress and said the harsh response suggested it might be political.

“It does not make sense to imprison or shut down a TV station without a court ruling in this case,” Sadiyev told VOA.

Pointing out that the case was about a social media post, Sadiyev said that measures “should not have been so harsh.”

“Therefore, it seems more of a political decision. The channel’s staff also say they have been under a lot of pressure lately. This, of course, can be seen as a pressure on freedom of the press,” Sadiyev said.

Presidential spokesperson Erbol Sultanbayev told the state-run Kabar News Agency that Kyrgyzstan “has and will continue to have freedom of speech.”

“No one has restricted freedom of speech. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that the dissemination of false information under the guise of freedom of speech on private television and other media is not allowed,” Sultanbayev said.

Local journalists have reported being more vulnerable to threats, harassment and attacks for their work in recent years, including by government officials and law enforcement.

This story originated in VOA’s Uzbek Service.
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Authorities in Pakistan said Tuesday at least five members of the security forces were killed and up to 30 were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a high-profile government convoy in southwestern Baluchistan province.

Islamic State took responsibility for the deadly attack Tuesday in the town of Sibi, the second suicide bombing carried out by the terrorist group in less than a week.

The bomber detonated his explosives on a Sibi road, just minutes after Pakistan President Arif Alvi’s cavalcade had driven past it, according to local security officials. It was not immediately known whether the president was the target.

Alvi was returning from an annual cultural festival in a nearby open area where he delivered a nationally televised speech in which he talked about a recent spike in terrorist attacks in Baluchistan and elsewhere in Pakistan.

“We understand that some more (sophisticated) weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists following the (military) withdrawal of the United States (from Afghanistan),” the president said in the speech without elaborating.

Alvi told the local DAWN news channel last month that “the withdrawal of foreign troops from the war-torn neighboring country “has led to a situation where weapons such as night-vision goggles and guns have reached the terrorists” who are waging cross-border attacks against Pakistan.

On Friday, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a packed minority Shiite Muslim mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The ensuing powerful blast killed 63 worshippers and injured nearly 200 others. Islamic State took responsibility for the bombing, saying one of its Afghan members carried it out.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan military said Tuesday its forces had raided a suspected terrorist hideout in Baluchistan’s Turbat district and the ensuing heavy firefight killed “7 terrorists,” including two key commanders. The raid also seized “a significant cache of arms and ammunition,” it said.

Ethnic Baluch insurgents also routinely stage attacks on civilians and Pakistani security forces in the province. Last month, the insurgents killed at least 19 soldiers in separate attacks.

Baluchistan, a natural resource-rich region, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border Afghanistan, where the regional affiliate of Islamic State, IS-Khorasan, has its bases.

Fugitive leaders and fighters of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban also have taken refuge on the Afghan side after fleeing security operations in Pakistan. Officials in Islamabad say the militant outfit plots cross-border attacks from its Afghan sanctuaries.
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The Taliban pledged Tuesday to protect the rights of women in Afghanistan under Islamic law to mark International Women’s Day, even as critics decried the erosion of human rights since the Islamist group retook control of the country nearly seven months ago.

“The Islamic Emirate is committed to upholding the Sharia rights of all Afghan women,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet. The hardline group calls its interim government in Kabul the Islamic Emirate.

“International Women’s Day is a great opportunity for our Afghan women to demand their legitimate rights. We protect and defend the rights of our Afghan women, God willing,” he added.

The Taliban had banned women from education and work, among other severe human rights violations, when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, leading to the global isolation of the South Asia nation.

The group has attempted to portray a reformed image, however, since seizing power from the now-defunct Western-backed Afghan government in August. Taliban leaders repeatedly have since assured the international community they would respect women’s rights and would give them access to education, as well as work.

But rights groups reject the Taliban claims and accuse the group of cracking down on human rights, particularly those of women. They say the men-only insurgency-turned-government has rolled back women’s rights in almost every area, including crushing women’s freedom of movement.

Human Rights Watch noted in a statement issued in connection with International Women’s Day that women are not allowed to share transportation with men or take long trips without a close male relative. Taxi drivers are told not to provide a ride to female passengers who are not wearing hijabs. Most Afghan girls’ secondary schools have been closed, and women are banned from most paid employment.

“Several countries proudly claim a ‘feminist foreign policy.’ But the international response to these developments has lacked urgency, and there is little sign of an effective coordinated plan to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls,” lamented the global rights defender. “On the contrary, governments pandered to the Taliban by sending all-male delegations to meet them,” the statement says.

The United Nations said Tuesday that combined with entrenched gender inequality and discrimination, women in Afghanistan are “disproportionately” affected by a legacy of conflict, drought, and a collapsing economy.

“Everyone in the country is affected by the current crises, but the situation for women and girls is particularly concerning as their rights and access to opportunities have become increasingly challenged,” lamented Deborah Lyons, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Amnesty International is urging the world to stop the Taliban’s suppression of women’s and girls’ rights.

“More than 80,000 global supporters and activists have signed a petition calling on the international community to urgently stand up for women’s rights in Afghanistan and hold the Taliban accountable for their unrelenting suppression of women and girls’ rights,” Amnesty said on International Women’s Day.

A report submitted Monday to the United Nations Human Rights Council finds the human rights situation for many Afghans has worsened since the Taliban returned to power, noting that actions taken by de facto authorities have curtailed women’s rights and freedom.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who presented the report, said people perceived by the Taliban to be a threat, including human rights defenders and media workers, have been killed, arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared.

No government has yet recognized the Taliban as the legitimate leaders of Afghanistan, citing human rights and terrorism concerns, along with a lack of political inclusivity in the interim government the hardline group has installed in Kabul.

For their part, the Taliban reject all allegations against their interim government. Despite financial constraints, the group says it has opened all universities to women students across Afghanistan, and it intends to allow all girls to return to school later this month. The Taliban defend separate classrooms for male and female students, as well as other restrictions on women, saying they are in line with Islamic principles.
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Afghanistan faces a serious risk of backtracking to its notoriously high maternal mortality rates because of sudden drops in foreign funding, a shortage of health care workers, mobility restrictions and worsening poverty, health professionals have told VOA.  

More than 1,600 Afghan mothers were dying for every 100,000 live births in 2001. With strong technical and financial support from donors, the country reduced the rate to about 640 deaths by 2018.  

Donors were spending about $1 billion annually on Afghanistan’s health sector, but all development funding ceased immediately when the Taliban returned to power in August.  

The abrupt funding shortage crippled the country’s donor-dependent public health system amid a global pandemic and a nearly universal poverty rate in the country.  

By September 2021, more than 80% of the country’s health care facilities were reported as dysfunctional because of a lack of funding and medical supplies and a shortage of personnel.  

“After the change of the government in August, there was a significant drop [cumulative around 25%] in the availability and utilization of maternal health services,” Joy Rivaca Caminade, a communication specialist with the World Health Organization in Afghanistan, told VOA.  

The United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF, gave a similar bleak assessment. 

“Following the events of mid-August 2021, Afghanistan’s health sector was close to collapse, with coverage of many lifesaving interventions for women and children falling between 20 and 30% within days,” said Joe English, a UNICEF spokesperson.  

Such setbacks have given rise to one of Afghanistan’s long-standing health crises — high maternal mortality. 

Mortality rates during childbirth might even have gone back to what they were in 2001, said Nadia Akseer, a scientist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.  

While there is no data showing how much infant and maternal mortality rates have worsened over the past six months, public health experts say the situation has deteriorated and the future remains uncertain.  

Too little aid  

After aid organizations warned that Afghanistan was facing widespread starvation and famine during the cold season, Western donors agreed to provide only lifesaving humanitarian assistance, to be delivered through U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organizations.  

In December, the World Bank announced it was transferring $100 million from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund — a multidonor fund set up to coordinate international aid — to UNICEF and WHO to fund emergency health activities in the country until June 2022.  

U.N. agencies have welcomed the funding resumption and say the aid flow must continue or there will be serious public health consequences.  

There are also concerns about the insufficiency of the funding as well as the mechanisms established for disbursement.  

In addition to the nearly $1 billion in foreign assistance, the former Afghan government used to allocate about $200 million for the health sector from domestic resources annually.  

The current humanitarian funding is only a fraction of what the country used to spend on health programs. And while the aid is insufficient, some are criticizing the U.N.-led aid disbursement regime. 

“We know that U.N. agencies have high overhead costs, and they have their own fees,” Akseer told VOA, adding that donors must find a more cost-effective aid delivery system and consider removing economic sanctions on Afghanistan.  

The World Bank and other Western donors have said no funding should be given to or disbursed through the Afghan Health Ministry, which manages public health facilities and personnel all over the country.  

The United States, the largest humanitarian donor to Afghanistan, has imposed strong economic and political sanctions on the Taliban government, blocking access to about $9 billion in foreign assets, held mostly by the U.S. To help mitigate the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the U.S. Treasury has issued special licenses for the delivery of essential aid to needy Afghans on the condition that the aid will not directly benefit the Taliban.  

U.N. and partner health care NGOs use foreign funds to ensure health facilities remain operational and to tackle a host of public health crises facing Afghanistan, including the pandemic, a recent increase in measles cases, growing malnutrition among children, and infectious diseases — not just infant and maternal health.  

Brain drain  

According to a Doctors Without Borders statement on February 23, “The Afghan heath system has been under-funded, under-staffed and dysfunctional for years. Most health facilities in Afghanistan remain under great pressure due to shortages of staff and equipment—some are barely functioning or are closed altogether.”  

Even in 2016, Afghanistan had the lowest number of doctors per every 1,000 people (0.3) in Asia, according to the World Bank.  

Tens of thousands of educated Afghans, among them health care professionals affiliated with international organizations, have been evacuated out of Afghanistan over the past six months.  

This has created a “brain drain of health professionals,” Akseer said.  

“Let’s say a midwife who worked in a typical village in Afghanistan and who was trained by an international organization, that affiliation is her ticket out of the country.” 

WHO confirmed the shortage of health professionals but added there was no data to measure how this was impacting the delivery of essential health services across the country.  

Afghanistan’s health problems have been compounded by economic and institutional crises.  

“The increase in poverty to over 97%, the large-scale loss of livelihoods, and widespread displacement do not bode well for maternal and child health,” said English, the UNICEF spokesperson.  

The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s mobility has also limited Afghan mothers’ access to health care services, aid agencies say.  

“It’s very possible that just in the past six months we’ve seen higher rates of maternal mortality and maternal illness than maybe the country has seen in the past 15 years,” Akseer said.  
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A report detailing troubling developments in Afghanistan since the takeover by the Taliban was submitted Monday to the United Nations Human Rights Council. 

The report finds hostilities and civilian casualties have sharply decreased since the Taliban took power in August. However, it also says the human rights situation for many Afghans has worsened. It says extrajudicial killings of members of the former government, including judges, lawyers and female legal professionals, continue apace. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet, who presented the report, said people perceived by the Taliban to be a threat, including human rights defenders and media workers, have been killed, arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared. 

She added that the Afghan people face a devastating humanitarian and economic crisis. 

“Following the Taliban’s takeover, international sanctions that previously applied to the Taliban effectively became sanctions on the country’s de facto governing authorities. The resulting liquidity crisis contributed to a full-scale economic crash,” Bachelet said. 

Consequently, she said nearly 20 million people, half the Afghan population, suffer acute hunger, which has led to an increase in child labor, child marriage and the sale of children. 

She said actions taken by de facto authorities have curtailed women’s fundamental rights and freedoms. 

“Since August 2021, women have largely been excluded from the workforce both as a result of the economic crisis and restrictions imposed by the de facto authorities,” Bachelet said. “The closure of many women’s protection shelters has left women at risk. Justice systems established to deal with cases of gender-based violence are largely nonfunctional.” 

Afghanistan’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said his country faces a multitude of crises, and the protection of the Afghan people must remain a priority for the international community. 

Nasir Ahmad Andisha is a holdover from the previous Afghan government, who continues to represent Afghanistan because the United Nations does not recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban government. 

In the past two decades, much progress was achieved on women’s rights, on freedom of speech and assembly, and in the general improvement of human rights, according to Andisha. 

“However, the abandonment of Afghanistan and the takeover of the country on the 15th of August by the Taliban has put Afghanistan on a downward trajectory of rapid reversal of rights and liberties,” he said. 

Andisha urged the Council to remain fast in its support of the Afghan people, who in the face of all challenges are committed to retaining the rights and freedoms they previously had achieved. 

 
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