Sabeen Mahmud Murder in Karachi: Investigation Falters; India Cancels 8,975 NGO Licenses; India to Open Up to Afghan Trade

Event Notice: “Reporting Under Fear” with CNN’s Peter Bergen, April 30, 4:30pm-6:30pm (SAIS Observer Inaugural at Johns Hopkins SAIS)

Pakistan

Sabeen Mahmud murder investigation falters

The investigation into the murder of Pakistani activist Sabeen Mahmud has stalled according to local reports on Tuesday (ET, Dawn). Investigators say they did not find a match for the bullet casings left at the scene. One anonymous law enforcement official stated: “That suggests that a new group or new weapon has been used in the killing.” According to police, the only witness is Mahmud’s mother. Mahmud was shot and killed on Friday in Karachi after hosting an event on human rights abuses in Balochistan province at the popular arts center she directed (NYT). Mahmud agreed to host the event, “Unsilencing Baluchistan,” after a private college in Lahore cancelled it following pressure from the ISI, Pakistan’s key intelligence agency, which is run by the military.

Pakistani refinery awaits import of Iranian oil

Pakistan’s largest refinery, Byco, announced that it would begin importing oil from Iran once sanctions were lifted according to local reports on Tuesday (ET, Dawn). Asad Siddiqui, the chief financial officer of Byco, told the media: “Byco refinery may take advantage of crude oil imports from Iran at discounted rates after the expected removal of international sanctions.” Byco had refined Iranian crude oil in the past before the imposition of sanctions. Siddiqui expressed hope that Iran would offer discounts to help open up its crude oil market.

— David Sterman

India

India cancels licenses of 8,975 NGOs

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the licenses of 8,975 NGOs receiving foreign funds as they failed to comply with the rules, according to news reports on Monday (BBC, NDTV, Times of India, Economic Times). Under the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act (FCRA), NGOs receiving foreign funds are required to annually provide details of the contributions received, their purpose, and source. In October last year, the government sent letters to 10,343 NGOs to submit their pending documents under FCRA. As only 229 NGOs responded, the licenses of 8,975 organizations have been cancelled. India has taken a tough stance against NGOs in the past few months. Last week, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs put grants from U.S.-based Ford Foundation on its watch list in the interest of national security. Last year, Greenpeace India was barred from accepting foreign funds.

Opposition creates uproar over AAP minister’s fake degree

Opposition parties demanded that New Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal ask Jitender Singh Tomar, law minister in the AAP government, to step down on Tuesday, after a university informed the Delhi High Court that Tomar’s law degree was “fabricated” (Economic Times). Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said: “The Law Minister himself has shown how law is being toyed with. Those people who spoke about ethics in politics have been unmasked. People of Delhi want answers from AAP for the way you reached here (gained power) by making false promises” (Indian Express). Ajay Maken, Congress Party leader, said: “The law minister must be sacked… If Arvind Kejriwal fails to remove the law minister and take moral responsibility than day after tomorrow, we will hold a massive demonstration outside the Delhi Secretariat” (NDTV).

— Neeli Shah

Afghanistan

Bonus Read: “Tears Replace Cheers in Re-enactment of Farkhunda’s Killing in Afghanistan,” Rod Nordland (NYT)

India to support Afghan security forces, open Attari checkpost to trade

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani discussed key issues including security and connectivity in New Delhi on Tuesday, during Ghani’s three-day visit to India (Times of India, Livemint). Modi said India would support Afghanistan’s security forces and open the Attari checkpost in India’s Punjab state to Afghan trucks in order to increase trade between the two countries (Pajhwok). Modi stated: “India will walk shoulder to shoulder with you and the Afghan people in a mission of global importance.” He also stated: “I am pleased that we have delivered three Cheetal Helicopters to Afghanistan, which will add to the growing capabilities of the valiant Afghan Forces.” Ghani said: “Shadow of terror haunts our children, women and youth, terror must be confronted and must be overcome. Terror cannot be classified into good or bad… We are determined to change regional nature of cooperation” (DNA). In addition to proclaiming India’s support for Afghanistan’s security forces, Modi announced: “We are ready to welcome Afghan trucks at the ICP Attari. We are also prepared to join the successor agreement to Afghan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement. This will re-establish one of the oldest trading routes of South Asia.”

Reinforcements begin operations in Kunduz

On Tuesday, reinforcements began operations in Kunduz province to repulse insurgent advances after a 24 hour delay in which reinforcements arrived but had not been ordered to begin an operation (TOLO News). The reinforcements seek to support 450 Afghan National Army soldiers who have been trapped in a military base in Imam Sahib district in Kunduz, which was surrounded by Taliban insurgents on Monday. Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Interior announced that a senior Taliban commander, Mullah Mustafa, was among the insurgents killed in fighting in Kunduz (TOLO News).

Bangladesh

Opposition boycotts mayoral races

On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced that it would boycott three mayoral races just hours before voting began (Bloomberg, Dawn). BNP leader Moudud Ahmed stated: “It was a farce, a mockery of democracy,” continuing: “We participated in the city polls to restore democracy. But vote rigging has already proved that restoring democracy is not possible under this government.” The mayoral races would have been the first time that the opposition BNP faced the prime minister’s Awami League party since 2008, and the decision to boycott is the latest act in an ongoing state of political unrest that has resulted in 120 deaths so far this year and cost the country’s economy $2.2 billion according to the World Bank.

— David Sterman

Edited by Peter Bergen

ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images