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Pakistan Will Talk to Kashmir; Taliban Now Focus Attacks on Cities; SC Removes CBI Director

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Pakistan Will Talk to Kashmir; Taliban Now Focus Attacks on Cities; SC Removes CBI Director

Pakistan Will Talk to Kashmir; Taliban Now Focus Attacks on Cities; SC Removes CBI Director

<p> <i>Editor's Note: New America is looking for a Project Manager - UAVs and Development to join our team in Washington, D.C. to support our efforts to create a primer and a corresponding database on the development potential of unmanned aerial vehicles. For more information about this one-year contract position, as well as the application requirements, please check out the employment listing </i><a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VFt2OUmOBXE4EtVHAa079 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414"><i>here</i></a>.<i></i> </p><br><p> <i>Bonus Read: "Why ISIS is spreading across Muslim world," Peter Bergen and Emily Schneider (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsHAbf9f style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">CNN</a>).</i> </p><br><p> <b>Pakistan</b> </p><br><p> <i>Pakistan will talk to Kashmir</i> </p><br><p> Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke at an Azad and Jammu Kashmir Council session in Muzzafarabad on Thursday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsNAfa6c style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsUAe067 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>). During his speech, Sharif said: "It is [Pakistan's] fundamental belief that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue," and that, before working with India, Sharif has decided to engage in talks with Kashmiri leaders. Sharif added: "Blaming Pakistan's agencies for involvement in extremism is an utter lie," continuing that Pakistan was "the biggest victim of terrorism." Sharif also said that the international community has a role in this process, and that is to help bring India to the table. </p><br><p> <i>Pakistan targets all militants</i> </p><br><p> Pakistani Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday at a reception hosted by Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Jalil Abbas Jilani, that Pakistan targets all militants in its military operation, Zarb-i-Azb, in North Waziristan (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsbAfb42 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsiA19ae style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>). Sharif said: "I would like to openly say that this [operation] is against all hues and colors, and it is without any discrimination, whether it is Haqqani network or TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan] or anything," adding that the purpose of the operation is to defeat terrorism. Sharif, who is in the middle of a week-long visit to the United States, met with members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and Armed Services committees, and met with National Security Advisor Susan Rice at the White House earlier in the day. </p><br><p> <i>Russian Defense Minister in Pakistan</i> </p><br><p> Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was in Pakistan on Thursday to discuss bilateral defense cooperation with the Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Sharif and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsmA6b88 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>). Shoigu applauded Pakistan for its counter terrorism efforts. Russia and Pakistan are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation. Russia has approved the sale of MI-35 helicopters after Pakistan expressed interest in purchasing up to 20 of the helicopters. </p><br><p> <i>Drought caused 300 children's death</i> </p><br><p> An extreme drought in Tharparkar has killed almost 300 children this year, according to official statements on Wednesday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOvnB_dde7A9bc0 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>). So far, in 2014, a total of 496 people, including 296 children, have died, 48 of the children dying since the beginning of October alone. The drought has exacerbated the area's poverty and poor health infrastructure, leading to increased health issues amongst children, like pneumonia. </p><br><p> <b>Afghanistan</b> </p><br><p> <i>Taliban now focus attacks on cities</i> </p><br><p> According to a statement by the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman, Haseeb Sediqi, on Wednesday, the Taliban have increased attacks in Kabul and other major cities by 68 percent this year (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsoA0508 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">TOLO News</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsrA12f8 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Pajhwok</a>). Sediqi added that while attacks in cities are increasing, the overall number of attacks by Taliban has decreased by 45 percent. Within the past 10 days alone, Kabul has had three suicide bombings, including an attack targeting a female lawmaker and an international housing compound (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTsvA20a6 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Pajhwok</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTs2A6219 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">TOLO News</a>). The statements were made when the NDS announced it would be creating Afghanistan's first national security strategy aimed at combating security threats. </p><br><p> <i>Pakistani cleric's comment enrages Afghan legislators</i> </p><br><p> On Wednesday several members of Parliament denounced anti-Afghan remarks made by controversial Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlurrahman, who is associated with the Taliban, and have called for the Afghan Council of Religious Scholars to condemn the comments and criticized the Afghan government for not speaking out against the statement (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtCA4267 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">TOLO News</a>). Fazlurrahman said last week: "We believe that the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is not permissible and defensive efforts will continue against it, we demand the internal security of Afghanistan." Fazlurrahman made his remarks to reporters just after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani while Ghani was in Pakistan last week; Fazlurrahman was a member of the Pakistani delegation who met with Ghani. </p><br><p> <i>--Courtney Schuster</i> </p><br><p> <b>India</b> </p><br><p> <i>Bonus Read: "The Politics of PDA in India," Tanya Basu (</i><a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtJA3829 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414"><i>The Atlantic</i></a><i>).</i> </p><br><p> <i>Indian SC removes CBI director from 2G case</i> </p><br><p> The Indian Supreme Court asked Ranjit Sinha, director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier law enforcement agency, to recuse himself from the second-generation (2G) spectrum case probe on Thursday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtOAcb7b target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">NDTV</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtRA6950 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414"> Livemint</a>). In 2008, mobile telephone companies were undercharged for frequency allocation licenses, resulting in a multi-billion dollar scandal. The Court accused Sinha of trying to influence the findings of the probe, and said: "Prima facie it appears that there is credibility in the allegations levelled against Sinha" (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtXAed62 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">Indian Express</a>). The Court had been monitoring the CBI investigation since 2010, after Prashant Bhushan -- a lawyer and activist -- filed a petition. Bhushan accused Sinha of protecting some telecom executives that the CBI had charged with criminal conspiracy. </p><br><p> <i>Sri Lanka releases Indian fishermen on death row</i> </p><br><p> Sri Lanka released five Indians on Wednesday who were given the death sentence after being convicted of smuggling drugs into the country (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtdAa1de target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">NDTV</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtiAb626 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414"> Livemint</a>). The five men, all fishermen from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, were granted a pardon by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, and have been handed over to Indian officials in Colombo. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka released an official statement, which thanked Rajapaksa for his "humanitarian gesture," and also referenced a telephone conversation between Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 9 that led to the release of these men (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtmA0640 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">Indian Express</a>). The fishermen were arrested in 2011. </p><br><p> <i>Parents kill daughter in honor-killing</i> </p><br><p> A 21-year-old Delhi University student was allegedly murdered by her parents and cremated after she secretly married her boyfriend against her parent's wishes, according to news reports on Wednesday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtnAd412 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">IBNLive</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTtqA95f3 target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414"> Hindustan Times</a>). Bhawna Yadav married Abhishek Seth, who was from a different caste, days before her parents had arranged her engagement with another man. After Yadav's parents found out about the secret wedding, they took their daughter from her husband's home, assuring Seth of a grand wedding. However, her parents strangled Yadav when she refused to divorce her husband. </p><br><p> After Seth received a call from Yadav's relative that his wife was dead, he filed a police complaint. A police official said: "As the body has been disposed of, the exact methodology of how she was killed is being ascertained and further investigations are underway. It has emerged that she was strangled to death. Her parents during interrogation told us that they were getting a bad name in their community for their daughter's step and that is why they eliminated her" (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7208is.20es/VG3sZUmOGRN7fTttA35bd target="blank" style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414">Indian Express</a>). </p><br><p> <i>--Neeli Shah</i> </p><br><p> Edited by Peter Bergen </p><br>

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