New Delhi: Determined not to give up, Amrullah Saleh, who had called himself the 'caretaker President' of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, now has announced the formation of a new government 'in exile'.
First vice president in the Ashraf Ghani administration, Saleh had declared himself the caretaker president after Ghani left the country and he was leading the 'resistance' against the Taliban too.
The overwhelmingly Pashtun identity of the Taliban is likely to work as a cementing factor among those who are opposed to it.
The ethnically mixed country has always resisted centralised power throughout its history.
Various identities such as Sunni, Shia and Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara besides Pashthun are often referred to in Afghanistan. Saleh himself belongs to the Tajik ethnic group.
The 'Government in exile' led by Amrullah Saleh is the only "legitimate government" in Afghanistan, read a statement issued by the Afghan embassy in Switzerland, the Khaama Press News Agency reported.
It further said that the decision to announce a government in exile was made after due consultation with 'elders' since Afghanistan is under the occupation of "external forces".
The statement said the government in exile will activate executive, judicial and legislative powers.
However, the statement does not identify any other members of the government.
After the fall of Kabul, Amrullah Saleh had moved to the Panjshir valley and continued to fight the Taliban. Later, of course the Taliban claimed to have defeated the resistance forces led by Ahmad Massoud.
Meanwhile, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Zhang Jun said, Beijing wants an early summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia, China, the US, France, the UK - to hold a discussion on a number of global issues.
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Five years since Surgical strike, Pak has learned no lesson
New Delhi:
Five years since Indian army carried out a surgical strike against militant
launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan seems to have learned no lesson.
Taking the same route along Salamabad Nala through which terrorists infiltrated in 2016 with the help of the Pakistan Army and carried out a suicide attack on Uri Garrison, the Pakistanis tried to push some Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists into Kashmir.
A resident of Dipalpur in Okara in Pakistan's Punjab, terrorist Ali Babar Patra,
was handed over to the police by the Army officials in Uri on Tuesday, Sept 28.
In custody, Ali Babar Patra told reporters at Uri: "After joining LeT, I got Rs 20,000 and was handed over to the ISI. Along with others trained by the Pakistan Army. My family was to be given Rs 30,000 after I got launched in Kashmir."
Ali Babar and other terrorists "infiltrated" from Sawai Nala Camp to Hallan Shumali Launch pad to Jabri in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which led to the Salamabad Nala.
Major Gen Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 infantry division, said the incident took place on September 25 when a brief encounter erupted between the terrorists and security forces.
“The operation was initially launched on the intervening night of September 18 and 19 when an infiltration bid by six Pakistani terrorists was made along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector. As an encounter broke out, taking advantage of the dark and dense foliage, four terrorists retreated back to Pakistan while the remaining two sneaked into Uri".
While Ali Babar was arrested, another one died during the operation.
He and other terrorists were perhaps misguided and lured into joining LeT to escape poverty.
The deceased was identified as Atiq ur Rehman alias Qari Anas, a resident of Attock in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Seven AK-47 weapons, nine pistols and revolvers, more than 80 grenades and Indian and Pakistani currencies were recovered during the latest Uri operation and the one that took place on September 18.
Ali Babar Patra said he underwent three weeks of training at the Garhi Habibullah camp in Pakistan in 2019.
There was another updated version of training for a few days before he was launched.
He also said that most of the instructors employed for the terrorists' physical and weapons training were Pakistan Army officials.
On September 29, 2016, India announced that it conducted surgical strikes against militant launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, and inflicted "significant casualties".
The casualty figures were reported anything between 35 to 70.
Even the western press, including 'The Guardian' had said that Indian patience had run out due to Pakistan's inaction in curbing the activities of terror organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
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Does Huawei CFO release mark another 'US retreat' ?
New Delhi:
A red carpet and crowds waving Chinese flags on the tarmac in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen welcomed Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer of Huawei Technologies.
In 2018, Meng was arrested in Vancouver, Canada on suspicion she violated US trade sanctions against Iran and obviously the episode had become a major irritant in straining China-US relations.
In August 2019, some Indian and Nepali journalists were told by Huawei officials - "We cannot help solve the China-US trade disputes because we do not really sell in the US".
Now, according to reports, Meng, the daughter of Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei, entered an agreement with the US Justice Department in which she admitted to some wrongdoing while prosecutors deferred some of her alleged 'bank fraud charges' against her and assured that indictment could be dismissed in 2022.
The return of the Huawei executive to China after a prolonged extradition fight with the US has been celebrated by Beijing as a "resounding victory".
It is also being seen as another 'retreat' by the Americans especially in the context of a new emerging world that one is witness to post Aug 15-2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Now, the US has decided not to pursue the cases. The charges against her have been suspended for three years from legal point of view and could be dismissed too.
The arrest was not really so personal or individual a matter, the technology giant Huawei was charged with 'spying' against the US interests.
In August 2019, this journalist was part of a delegation of Indian and Nepali journalists who were taken to Huwaei headquarters in Shenzhen to explain the company 'position' and give a glimpse of technology knowhows.
A senior Huawei official had told the visiting scribes that: “If Huawei was born in the west, our story would be no different from the growth stories Microsoft, Google and Facebook”.
The implication was Huawei was being unfairly targeted.
Huawei then had presence in 170 countries.
"In fact, no other Chinese companies have gone global like us. We strictly follow local laws....and a large part of Huawei growth is also due to western companies," said the official.
There are certainly more to it that now Meng has been released rather so easily.
Almost coinciding with Meng's return 'home', China has released two Canadians who have been detained on similar 'spying charges'.
Beijing had of course repeatedly denied connections between the detention of the two Canadians and Meng’s high profile arrest.
But it is also a fact that Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur with business ties to North Korea, were detained on espionage charges within ten days after Meng was arrested in in December 2018.
How is the release of Meng now being seen as America's efforts to 'contain' Chinese designs remain a puzzle.
Beijing has said the release of Huawei CFO shows China's strength and Canada should "draw lessons".
At the global stage, the episode is seen as another sign of 'goodwill' from Washington towards China.
Has the ice really broken, and can there be a possibility of virtual talks between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in days to come?
For her part, on her return Meng has said - "If faith has a colour, it must be China red".
That could mean a lot.
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| Blogger at Huawei Hqs |
Sri Lanka bans Chinese 'organic' fertiliser over detection of bacteria
New Delhi:
In the season of playing the assertive diplomacy and tougher trade norms, Sri Lanka halted a 96,000-tonne shipment of fertiliser from China on Wednesday citing quality issues.
The 'ban' on import of organic fertilisers manufactured in China came after the country's agriculture authorities detected harmful bacteria in them. The Directorate General (DG) of Agriculture, urged the Sri Lankan government to cancel the fertiliser contract with China.
Sri Lanka was to import 99,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser at a cost of $63 million from China's Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co Ltd.
"When we tested the fertiliser samples sent by the Chinese supplier, we found in them bacteria that is harmful to the soil," said a statement from Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, according to media reports.
Officials said the cargo was ready to be shipped to Sri Lanka when the government decided to
cancel the order, worth an estimated $42 million.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power in 2019 promising subsidised foreign fertiliser.
There was also speculation whether the ban was linked to foreign exchange shortage. The government
has denied the charge and that it is committed to healthier agriculture.
Of course, according to a report in 'Jakarta Post', there have been recent halts to imports of vehicles and
spare parts.
Farmers of rice -- the main foreign exchange-earning export commodity, along with tea -- have warned
crops could be halved without chemicals, the report said.
Interestingly, unlike the recent past, China is seen these days by Sri Lankans not only as a development
assistance partner, but also as a competitor with trade, industrial and human resources interests.
There are elements in Sri Lanka who say that the Chinese having 'controlling stakes' in some major
projects reminded them of the Cuban missile crisis.
iIn 2018 China made Sri Lanka lease out the Hambantota port, miles off the shores of its rival India,
and a critical base to monitor the Indo-Pacific trade route.
The island nation had leased the port for 99 years to a venture led by China Merchants Port Holdings Co.
in return for $1.1 billion.
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