S. Binodkumar Singh
Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the South Asia Terrorism Portal.
After months of delay and bitter allegations of fraud and corruption, Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) on December 22, 2019, published the preliminary results of the Presidential Election held on September 28, 2019. According to these results, incumbent President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani won the Election. Out of 1,824,401 total votes, Ghani secured 923,868 (50.64 percent) – enough to win in the first round of voting – defeating his main challenger, incumbent Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who secured 720,099 votes (39.52 percent).The head of Hizb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, came a distant third, with 70,243 votes (3.85 percent). The remaining 5.99 per cent votes went to 11 other candidates. Eight of these candidates– Rahmatullah Nabil, Faramarz Tamana, Enayatullah Hafiz, Mohammad Hakim Torsan, Ahmad Wali Masood, Mohammad Shahab Hakimi, Ghulam Farooq Najrabi and Noor Rahman Lewal – had together formed the Council of Presidential Candidates on April 15, 2019.The Presidential Election was contested by 14 candidates.
There was a total of 9,665,745 million (the exact number released by the IEC on August 18, 2019) registered voters, out of which1,929,333 exercised their right to vote, i.e. around 19 percent. 104,932 of the registered voters, i.e., around one percent, was found invalid. During the 2014 Presidential Election, the voting percentage was 58 percent.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Special Report, presenting the findings of election-related violence from the start of the registration for the Presidential Election on June 8, 2019, until September 30, 2019, two days after the election, indicated that attacks targeting the electoral process caused 458 civilian casualties (85 deaths and 373 injured). The report further added that attacks during the day of the polling, September 28, alone killed 28 civilians and wounded 249.The report also revealed that more than 80 per cent of all civilian casualties in the election-related violence of 2019 and about 95 per cent of all civilian casualties from election-related violence on polling day were attributed to the Taliban.
On September 26, 2019, urging Afghans to boycott the vote, the Taliban had issued a statement declaring, “We ask fellow countrymen to refrain from venturing out of their homes on this day so that, may Allah forbid, no one is harmed.” The civilian casualty levels were higher on polling day in the 2019 elections, as compared to polling day for the first round of the 2014 Presidential Election. UNAMA documented 159 civilian casualties (32 deaths and 127 injured) on April 5, 2014, the polling day for the first round in 2014.
Based on the IEC’s election timeline, preliminary results were scheduled to be announced on October 19, 2019. However, on that day, IEC chief Hawa Alam Nuristani announced the postponement of preliminary results for Presidential Election, saying that the delay would further ensure the transparency of the electoral process and restore the people's confidence. On October 27, 2019, citing several technical issues slowing the counting of ballots, Nuristani announced that the Commission will declare the preliminary results of the Presidential Election on November 14, 2019. On November 13, 2019, however, IEC spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi stated, "Unfortunately due to technical problems and other issues, we will not be able to announce the election results tomorrow." The IEC spokesman did not provide a new date. The final results, as per original schedule, were to be declared on November 14, 2019.
Meanwhile, welcoming the preliminary results in a televised speech, Ghani told a jubilant crowd gathered at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, “With the announcement, we are moving now from darkness to light and from uncertainty to a bright future.”
However, hours after the announcement of the preliminary results of the Presidential Election, Abdullah's team accused Ghani's team of taking the IEC's side, and alleged that the preliminary results were announced without separating the "clean" and "fraudulent" votes. The team in a statement asserted,
Our people accomplished their role in the September presidential elections and were waiting for the results of their 'clean' votes. Unfortunately, those who do not believe in the people's right to election and for democracy have affected the election's transparency by committing systematic, widespread fraud which led to a fraudulent announcement of preliminary result.
According to Abdullah's team 300,000 suspicious and fraudulent votes have been counted and they demand the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) to invalidate them.
Alarmingly, competing claims were made by the two frontrunners for Afghanistan’s presidency, Ghani and Abdullah, as early as on September 30, 2019. Both declared victory, echoing an election crisis five years ago when competing claims by the two men led to months of turmoil. Ghani and Abdullah were also the top two candidates in the 2014 Presidential Election, and months of confusion followed as both men accused each other of fraud. The US eventually stepped in to broker a power-sharing deal under which Ghani became President and Abdullah accepted the post of Chief Executive.
Separately, on December 23, 2019, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, another Presidential candidate, at a press conference accused the IEC of stealing his votes and claimed that the devices of 2,400 polling centres were stolen, and ballot boxes were sent back empty.
Moreover, the Council of Presidential Candidates, in a statement issued on December 22, 2019, declared that they did not accept the preliminary results of the Presidential Election and suggested the establishment of a “National Participation Government” to end the crisis.
Allegations of fraud in the Presidential Election were made by other politicians as well. On September 30, 2019, claiming that massive frauds were committed in Khost Province, Humayoun Humayoun, former Deputy House Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament stated,
Ballot boxes were stuffed during the night time in favor of President Ashraf Ghani in remote districts. They transferred the ballot boxes to district administrative compounds and used 10 finger prints to manipulate the biometrics system.
According to Humayoun, less than 35 thousand people participated in the elections in Khost Province, but the officials report the number of voters manifold higher.
Similarly, Bismillah Afghanmal, former Member of Parliament (MP) claimed massive vote-rigging took place in Kandahar and Zabul Provinces as well:
Ballot boxes were stuffed in the houses of powerful individuals in Arghandab, Panjwai and Spin Boldak districts, in collusion with the election workers and in coordination with the governor and district administrative chiefs.
Further, on December 26, 2019, at a gathering organized by Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami in Kabul with participation from politicians from several Afghan political parties including Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami (led by Karim Khalili), Hizb-e-Islami, Jamiat-e-Islami, Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardom-e-Afghanistan (led by Mohammed Mohaqiq), Afghan Millat Party and Paiwand-e-Milli Party, the political leaders vowed to defy the establishment of a Government arising from “electoral fraud.”
On the other hand, sharing the preliminary findings of the Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA), a Kabul-based civic-action body that monitors elections, Naeem Ayubzada, Director of TEFA stated, on October 9, 2019, that they had collected 75 percent of the result sheets from 34 Provinces. Ayubzada asserted that some electoral teams had threatened TEFA officials not to disclose the information regarding the Presidential candidate who had obtained the most votes. He further stated that TEFA would share their findings in the event the electoral commissions failed to maintain their impartiality in the vote counts and the announcement of the final election result.
Separately, on October 28, 2019, election observers raised concerns of the possible influence of the Dermalog, the German-based company that provided biometric devices to the IEC, on the results of the Presidential Election. Naeem Ayubzada, Director of TEFA, said,
Dermalog is not an electoral company to know the management of the election process, secondly, if this company takes responsibility, there is no trust and confidence in it and there are chances of fraud. Dermalog Company has its own links with the government and also with international players.
Similarly, Yousuf Rashid, the head of Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), another independent institution working to enhance transparency and accountability in democratic processes in Afghanistan, stated,
The commission's status and credibility as an independent body are facing questions. The interaction they had with Dermalog, whether in the shape of a contract or an agreement - they have to give the management of the data and the information and statistics to Dermalog. At the moment, Dermalog has the same status as the election commission while the commission itself works as a technical secretariat of this company.
Disturbingly, on October 21, 2019, news was leaked that the locks of the doors of the Data Server of IEC, where biometric data was stored, were found broken. Initially, the IEC denied any such incident. However, a day later on October 22, 2019, IEC member Raheema Zarifi confirmed the intrusion into the Data Server room for biometric devices and announced that an investigation into the incident had been launched. The Presidential candidates blamed the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani, who seeks to hold the office for another five-year term.
In order to address the allegations of fraud, on December 22, 2019, a few hours after the announcement of preliminary results, IECC announced that the protesters were obliged to submit their complaints within following three days to the IECC, and the Commission would deal with the complaints within 37 to 39 working days. Zuhra Bayan Shinwari, Head of IECC noted, “IECC assures everyone that it will neutrally and independently fulfil its obligations to record and address the electoral complaints with full transparency and on time in accordance to electoral law.”Based on the electoral law of Afghanistan, candidates can register their complaints within three days after the announcement of preliminary results and the IECC is required respond to them within 15 days.
Significantly, on December 26, 2019, at a press conference, IECC, announced that the 16,500 complaints had been registered in connection with the Presidential Election. Of these, about 8,000 were filed by Abdullah Abdullah’s team;4,400 were filed by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's team; about 4,000 were filed by Ghani’s team; and 15 by Rahmatullah Nabil's team. Officials at the IECC also said that they will increase their efforts to address the complaints in the following 36 days. The process of filing complaints with the IECC began on December 23, 2019.
Meanwhile, another ominous outcome of the preliminary result is that a map published by the IEC shows a treacherous division between the North and South. Ghani won in the 16 Southern and Eastern Provinces, while rival candidate Abdullah received the highest number of votes in 18 Provinces in the North and Central Provinces of Afghanistan. The division not only reflects a deep ethnic divide in the country, but also suggests that another feud between the leaderships of two sides, and their position on key issues, is in the offing.
There appears no likelihood of compromise between Ghani and Abdullah as the former has completely endorsed the preliminary results and the latter has rejected the outcome and declared it fraudulent and bogus. Given the very small margin of less than 12,000 Ghani votes above the 50 percent threshold and the pending complaints procedure, a second round of election is still possible in Afghanistan. IECC has an obligation to adjudicate any complaints it receives transparently and thoroughly, so the election process can conclude in a credible manner. With the announcement of the preliminary results, the controversy around the Presidential Election is far from over and the current polarised climate could be a repeat of past controversies.
INDIA
Chhattisgarh: Sukma: Diminishing Influence
Indrajit Sharma
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On December 19, 2019, one Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre was killed in an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in Sukma District. A team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local Police were out on a counter insurgency operation in a forested area near Singanmadgu village under Chintagufa Police Station limits when they encountered armed Maoists, resulting in the gun battle. Later, during search, the body of a woman Maoist was found at the encounter spot.
On the same day, a CPI-Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter at an unspecified place under Chintagufa Police Station limits in Sukma District. The body of the Maoist was recovered from the encounter site, along with a country made weapon, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and explosives.
On December 12, two CPI-Maoist cadres were killed in an exchange of fire with SFs that followed after a Special Task Force (STF) trooper was injured in an IED blast in a forested area between Morpalli and Timapuram villages in Sukma District. A joint counter-insurgency operation was being carried out by STF, DRG, and CoBRA in the District, when one of its personnel sustained injuries when he inadvertently stepped onto a pressure IED connection, triggering the blast. An hour after the incident, a gunfight broke out between the Maoists and another team of DRG and STF in the forest between Morpalli and Timapuram villages. After the encounter, during the search, bodies of two Maoists were recovered from the spot, along with one muzzle loading weapon, one pistol and a large quantity of explosive materials.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 24 Maoists have been killed in Sukma District since the beginning of 2019 (data till December 29, 2019). During the corresponding period in 2018, 56 Maoists had been killed in the District, and there were no more fatalities in this category thereafter in the remaining period of the year.
Since its formation on January 16, 2012, Sukma District has recorded a total of 160 Maoist fatalities (data till December 29, 2019). The maximum number, 56, was in 2018. The most successful operation of 2018, in terms of fatalities inflicted on the Maoists, took place on August 6, 2018, when at least 15 Maoist cadres were killed in an encounter with SFs in the forests between Nalkatong and Durma villages under the Konta Police Station.
Combing operations and raids have resulted in the arrest of 24 Maoists in the District in the current year (data till December 29, 2019), in addition to 157 in 2018. Mounting SF pressure has led to the surrender of 122 Maoists in 2019, in addition to 159 in 2018.
In the fight between SFs and Maoists, the overall kill ratio (1:1.13) has been marginally in favour of SFs (141 SF personnel, 160 Maoists killed) since January 16, 2012. However, the kill ratio was in favour of the Maoists in 2012 (3:1), 2014 (3.23:1), 2015 (1.18:1), and 2017 (3.5:1). Significantly, after reaching a peak of 42 SF fatalities in 2017 (as well as in 2014 at the same number), the fatalities came down to 18 in 2018. For the first time no fatality was recorded in the SF category in the current year, thus far (data till December 29, 2019).
Civilian fatalities, a key index of the security scenario of an area/region, has recorded a cyclical trend. After registering a high of 33 fatalities in 2013, the District touched a low of three fatalities in 2014. Though fatalities in this category increased between 2015 (nine fatalities) and 2016 (10 fatalities), they came down to six in 2017, to spike again to 15 in 2018, fall to nine in 2019.
Analyses of other parameters demonstrate the Maoists’ eroding strength in the District. A total of 491 Maoist-linked incidents have been recorded in the District since its formation. Total Maoist-linked incidents increased between 2013 and 2016 – 2013 (23), 2014 (36), 2015 (72), 2016 (100). However, they declined thereafter, barring 2018; dropping to 72 in 2017, rising to 92 in 2018, but again falling to 66 in 2019.
Since January 16, 2012, Sukma has recorded 25 major incidents (each resulting in three or more fatalities), with two of these recorded in 2019. The Maoists have triggered at least 56 blasts, killing 34 persons and injuring 85 others in the District over this period. The maximum number of such incidents was recorded in the year 2016 (13), followed by 2015 (12) and 2017 (11), while the current year has recorded four explosions so far. Maoists have executed 22 incidents of arson since the formation of the District, the largest number in 2018 (eight) and the smallest in 2013 (one), while three incidents have been recorded in the current year.
Significantly, on September 3, 2019, the Sukma Police stated that the rebels were under tremendous pressure owing to the persistent and successful anti-Maoist and area domination operations launched by the SFs. Significantly, apart from killing 160 Maoists, the SFs have also arrested another 559 Maoists since the formation of the District, including 24 in 2019.
In a significant development, the death of the CPI-Maoist ‘Central Committee’ member and ‘secretary’ of the ‘Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC)’, Ravula Srinivas aka Ramanna, on December 9, 2019, has added to the Maoists’ woes. Ramanna was in-charge of Maoist activity in the ‘Bastar division’ comprising Sukma, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Bastar, all in Chhattisgarh, and carried a total cash reward of over INR 20 million, including INR 4 million in Chhattisgarh and INR 3 million in Odisha. Under his supervision, Sukma had seen several violent Maoist attacks on SFs, including the killing of 15 SF personnel (one civilian was also killed) on March 11, 2014, and 25 CRPF personnel on April 24, 2017.
A December 19, 2019, report asserted,
The Maoists have been finding it difficult to recruit new people in their fighting ranks. The size of their fighting unit is said to have declined from 6,000 armed insurgents in 2017 to little over 3,500 in 2019. Most of these recruitments were being done by Ramanna, who is now dead.
Ramanna's death is a major setback for the Maoists in Sukma in particular and for the overall movement as well.
Nevertheless, the Maoists retain the capacity to avoid face-offs with the SFs, maintaining a tactical silence, even as they revamp their strategies. According to an October 7, 2019, report, drone-like objects were spotted flying over the airspace of highly secured CRPF base camps in the Kistaram and Palodi areas of Sukma. CRPF spokesperson B. C. Patra disclosed,
Such sighting of lights (of suspected drone) during the night hours has never been reported earlier in and around the CRPF base camps across the Maoist-affected Bastar region. It was sighted for three days and we have sent an alert to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB). Though it's not yet confirmed, there remains a suspicion that these flying objects might be Maoist drones. It was seen flying over the CRPF camps of Palodi and Kistaram separated by an aerial distance of 5 km. It's under investigation.
Meanwhile, a November 18, 2019, report observes that the Union Government, through the directive of the Unified Command of security and intelligence agencies, issued ‘shoot at sight’ orders for SFs, especially the CRPF, deployed in CPI-Maoist-hit areas, after a ‘serious and new threat’ of Naxalite drones came to light.
Sukma covers an area of 5,635.79 square kilometers, of which more than 75 per cent (around 3,500 square kilometres) is under forest cover. The District shares its borders with the Maoist-affected Districts of Bastar Division within the State – i.e. Bastar, Bijapur and Dantewada to the north and west; the highly affected Malkangiri District of Odisha to the east; and the Khammam District of Telangana to the South, making it a more formidable challenge for SFs. All these Districts [with the exception of Khammam] are among the ‘30 worst Maoist-affected’ Districts, across seven States in the country, according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA). Furthermore, all these Districts are among the 90 districts in 11 States that are considered LWE affected, according to a Government release of February 5, 2019. Moreover, Sukma is also listed as one of the Aspirational Districts included in the 'Aspirational Districts Programme'. The programme focuses on five main themes – Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure – which have direct bearing on the qualty of life and economic productivity of citizens.
According to an August 7, 2019, report, to bring the Maoist affected areas of Sukma into the digital era, the CRPF opened computer classes for teachers and students at Sukma and Injaram under Konta tehsil (revenue unit) in Dantewada District. On October 23, 2019, the Union Home Secretary, A.K. Bhalla, focused on reviewing the ongoing development works carried out in the ‘Bastar Division’. The emphasis of these programs was on the need to improve road and mobile connectivity to expedite development works.
Meanwhile, to contain the Maoist threat in the heavily forested Dandakaranya region of the State, the CRPF has raised a specialised ‘Bastariya Battalion’, also called the ‘Bastariya Warriors’, comprising personnel largely drawn from the tribal population of the region. Of 534 personnel in the Battalion, 140 are from Sukma, 150 from Dantewada, 81 from Narayanpur and the remaining 163 from Bijapur District. Over 33,000 CRPF personnel, including 28 regular battalions and five teams of CoBRA, were already deployed in the State, particularly in the Bastar region, to combat the Maoists.
Sukma is among the Maoists’ shrinking areas of disruptive dominance. Continued operational pressure by the SFs, complimented by an intensive focus on development and administrative outreach, could result in a further consolidation of the State’s effectiveness, eventually leading to a rebel-free Sukma.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
December 23-29, 2019
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
Terrorists/Insurgents
Total
INDIA
INDIA (Left-Wing Extremism)
Bihar
2
0
0
2
Jharkhand
2
0
0
2
INDIA (Total)
4
0
0
4
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.
AFGHANISTAN
Taliban agrees to a temporary 'ceasefire', says report:An informed source has said that 'most members' of the Taliban councils in Pakistan have agreed to a temporary 'ceasefire' in Afghanistan.Taliban have not yet officially announced anything, but Jalaluddin Shinwari, a former member of Taliban regime, believes that eventually the views of the political group and military sections will be coordinated. The Khaama Press, December 27, 2019.
It would be difficult to restore peace in Afghanistan in the presence of foreign forces, said Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: On December 26, Hizb-e-Islami (HeI) party leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, also a presidential candidate, said that it would be difficult to restore peace in Afghanistan in the presence of foreign forces. "The war will not come to an end if this government continues-the peace is not possible unless there is an interim government formed acceptable to all sides," said Hekmatyar. Tolo News, December 26, 2019.
INDIA
3,200 ceasefire violations doubled in 2019 from 2018, says Ministry of Defence: Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) violations across Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by Pakistan Army nearly doubled in 2019 with around 3,200 instances reported so far compared to last year, Defence Ministry sources said on December 27. The source in the ministry said, "Pakistani Army is continuously firing in Keran Valley, Poonch, Uri, Krishna Ghati and Akhnoor sectors." In 2019, a total 3,200 incidents of CFA violations from across the LoC has have been reported compared to 1,629 incidents in 2018, or almost double. In December this year so far, 329 incidents have been reported which are also nearly double the 175 cases reported in the same month last year. A senior Indian Army officer said that during winter, CFA violations on the LoC are very low but this year, it is at an all-time high. Since abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, Pakistan has increased CFA violations. In August, a total 307 incidents were reported, while 292 incidents occurred in September, 351 in October and 304 cases were reported in November. Prior to this, 203 incidents were reported in January, 215 in February, 267 in March, 234 in April, 22 in May, 181 in June and 296 cases in July. Compared to 2017, the number of CFA violations in 2019 have tripled. In 2017, a total 860 incidents were reported, against only 228 in 2016 Daily Excelsior, December 27, 2019.
Terror attacks in Punjab being planned by pro-Khalistan outfits with Pakistan's support, says Intelligence: The Indian Intelligence agencies have said that the Khalistani terrorists have escalated their efforts to smuggle weapons from Pakistan to carry out terror attacks in Punjab. The sources revealed that terror groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) are in contact with their Pakistani handlers to smuggle weapons from across the India-Pakistan border. The report further said that based on the intelligence input, the Indian government has ordered the Border Security Force (BSF), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to monitor the activities of the Khalistan-backed terrorists and conduct surveillance in the bordering areas of Punjab to prevent the smuggling of weapons in the State. DNA, December 26, 2019.
Securing borders necessary for India's aim to achieve USD 5-trn economy, says Amit Shah: In the 32nd Endowment Lecture of the Intelligence Bureau, Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah on December 23 stated that securing borders are necessary for India to achieve its USD 5 trillion economy. Lauding Intelligence Bureau (IB) for his its excellent work in tackling terror activities, Shah asked the security agency to accord special focus "on securing our land and maritime borders". Shah further stressed on the importance of coordination between different security and intelligence agencies and asked the personnel for sharper intelligence analysis, along with a prompt phase-wise and time-bound strategy to address national security challenges. Business-Standard, December 24, 2019.
Pakistan making all out efforts to push militants, says Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh: Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh said on December 23, that Pakistan army is making all efforts to help terrorists infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir under the cover of ceasefire violations. "The Pakistan army is making a lot of attempts to send terrorists towards this side and they also resort to ceasefire violations. They bring terrorists to launch pads and resort to ceasefire violation, causing loss to civilians and troops", he said. He also said that the situation at the Line of Control (LoC) was completely under control and Security Forces were effectively thwarting the infiltration bids. Daily Excelsior, December 24, 2019.
Rise in infiltration from Nepal border: Following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions and the tight security along the Indo-Pakistan border, infiltration from countries like Pakistan and China through open Nepal border has raised significantly. According to Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General (DG), Kumar Rajesh Chandra, whose force is entrusted to guard the 1,751-km long India-Nepal front, 59 cases of third-party nationals belonging to countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and the United States being detained from border area has been registered this year. This is far higher than 28 such cases in 2018. Chandra said, "Whether they were terrorists or fake Indian currency note (FICN) operatives or smugglers...we have got our limitations to know that as we catch them and hand over to local police or other probe and intelligence agencies'. However, feedback from the authorities revealed that mostly the detained persons came to India with "ulterior motives". NDTV, December 17, 2019.
MALDIVES
MNDF strengthens security, raises alert status in Maldives: On December 24, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) raised the alert status across the country and strengthened security measures. According to a press release by MNDF, the alert status was raised to 'Yellow two' from 1900hrs; these alerts are issued when there is an increased or predictable threat to the security and sovereignty of the country. Military personnel, during the alert period, will stop marine vessels and perform inspections. The Edition , December 24, 2019.
NEPAL
Samajwadi Party-Nepal quits Government: The central committee meeting of Samajwadi Party-Nepal (SP-N) held on December 24 decided to quit the Government. The party's Vice-chairperson Hisila Yami told that the meeting discussed issues regarding Prime Minister's rejection of a proposal forwarded by the party stepping on prior agreement. She elaborated that PM KP Sharma Oli rejected the proposal of constitution amendment submitted by SP-N Chairperson Upendra Yadav, also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The meeting held at the party's central office in Balkumari, Lalitpur decided to call it quits citing violation of the two-point agreement the party had signed before joining the ruling coalition. The Himalayan Times , December 24, 2019.
PAKISTAN
UN experts demand 'justice' for blasphemy convict in Pakistan:: On December 27, United Nations (UN) experts demand 'justice' for blasphemy convict in Pakistan United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) experts called on Pakistan's High Court to clear Junaid Hafeez of blasphemy charges and overturn his death sentence. In a joint statement, they described Hafeez's condemnation by a lower Court last week as a 'travesty of justice' and said senior judges should acquit the former university lecturer on appeal. "We urge Pakistan's superior courts to promptly hear his appeal, overturn the death sentence and acquit him," said the independent experts who include UN investigators on freedom of religion, unlawful killings and arbitrary detention. Daily Times , December 28, 2019.
SRI LANKA
Former Defense Secretary and suspended IGP further remanded till January 6, 2020:: Former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and suspended IGP Pujith Jayasundara have been remanded further until January 6, 2020, by the Colombo Magistrate's Court on December 23. The two former top officials have been accused of failing to take measures to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite having prior knowledge of the attack, and remanded on charges of criminal negligence and murder. Colombo Page , December 24, 2019.
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