Subject: South Asia Daily, Presented by AARP: Officials: Kunduz City Cleared; Hindu Nationalists Douse Activist in Ink; Karachi Landslide Kills 13
From: "Foreign Policy" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:53:08 -0400 (EDT)

Officials: Kunduz City Cleared; Hindu Nationalists Douse Activist in Ink; Karachi Landslide Kills 13

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Officials: Kunduz City Cleared; Hindu Nationalists Douse Activist in Ink; Karachi Landslide Kills 13

Officials: Kunduz City Cleared; Hindu Nationalists Douse Activist in Ink; Karachi Landslide Kills 13

<br />
<b>Afghanistan</b><br />
<br />
<i>Bonus Read: &ldquo;Hope fades on Obama&rsquo;s vow to bring troops home before presidency ends,&rdquo; by Greg Jaffe (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2hvcGUtZmFkZXMtb24tb2JhbWFzLXZvdy10by1icmluZy10cm9vcHMtaG9tZS1iZWZvcmUtcHJlc2lkZW5jeS1lbmRzLzIwMTUvMTAvMTIvY2MwZGFhZWMtNjc4MS0xMWU1LTllZjMtZmRlMTgyNTA3ZWFjX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWwi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B97e2254f style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Post</a>)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Officials: Kunduz City cleared</i><br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the northern Kunduz police chief, Quasim Jangal Bagh, announced that Kunduz City had been cleared of insurgents (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy50b2xvbmV3cy5jb20vZW4vYWZnaGFuaXN0YW4vMjE4NTQta3VuZHV6LWNpdHktY2xlYXJlZC1vZi1pbnN1cmdlbnRzLWZvcmNlcy1tb3ZpbmctZm9yd2FyZC1vZmZpY2lhbHMi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7Bb88ffa5c style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">TOLO News</a>). Bagh noted, however, that fighting continues on the Takhar &ndash;Kunduz highway and in the Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz. Karim Amini, a journalist for <i>TOLO News</i> reported that &ldquo;most of the people have come out into the city and are going back to work&rdquo; and that the city is &ldquo;like it was two weeks ago.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
<i>Two Americans among dead in helicopter crash</i><br />
<br />
On Monday, coalition forces announced that two Americans were among the five killed in a helicopter crash in Kabul on Sunday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy51c2F0b2RheS5jb20vc3RvcnkvbmV3cy8yMDE1LzEwLzEyL2NvcHRlci1jcmFzaC1hZmdoYW5pc3Rhbi1raWxsZWQtMi11cy10cm9vcHMvNzM4MDgwOTIvIg/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B82f00cdf style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">USA Today</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL3dvcmxkL3R3by1hbWVyaWNhbnMtYW1vbmctZml2ZS1raWxsZWQtYWZnaGFuaXN0YW4tY2hvcHBlci1jcmFzaC1jb2FsaXRpb24tbjQ0MjcxNiI/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B6a4bfa89 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NBC</a>). Two British servicemembers and a French contractor were also killed in the crash. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, the military communications chief in Afghanistan, stated: &ldquo;We're deeply saddened by the loss of our teammates.&rdquo; The crash occurred after the helicopter struck a monitoring balloon while trying to land, according to a local witness, and a spokesman for U.S. and NATO forces confirmed a balloon was involved in the incident.<br />
<br />
<i>American forces accused of killing four civilians in Logar</i><br />
<br />
On Monday, the provincial council chief for central Logar province accused American forces of killing four civilians and injuring 15 others in indiscriminate firing after a roadside bomb exploded near the provincial capital of Pul-i-Alam (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wYWpod29rLmNvbS9lbi8yMDE1LzEwLzEyL3VzLWZvcmNlcy1hY2N1c2VkLWtpbGxpbmctNC1jaXZpbGlhbnMtbG9nYXIi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B9361980d style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Pajhwok</a>). Salim Saleh, a spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the roadside bomb attack but said he was unaware of any civilian casualties.<br />
<br />
<i>-- David Sterman</i><br />
<br />
<b>India</b><br />
<br />
<i>Bonus Read: &ldquo;Why India is transfixed by elections in Bihar&rdquo; (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL2Jsb2dzL2Vjb25vbWlzdC1leHBsYWlucy8yMDE1LzEwL2Vjb25vbWlzdC1leHBsYWlucy0xMD9mc3JjPXJzcyI/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7C110de56c style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Economist</a>).</i><br />
<br />
<i>Indian activist doused in ink by Hindu nationalists</i><br />
<br />
Members of the far-right Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena party poured black ink on an Indian activist in protest over the launch of a book on Monday by a former Pakistani foreign minister (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtYXNpYS1pbmRpYS0zNDUwNDQzNCI/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B70a86781 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">BBC</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL2Vjb25vbWljdGltZXMuaW5kaWF0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3cy9wb2xpdGljcy1hbmQtbmF0aW9uL3NoaXYtc2Fpbmlrcy1wb3VyLWJsYWNrLXBhaW50LW9uLXN1ZGhlZW5kcmEta3Vsa2Fybmktb3Zlci1ib29rLWxhdW5jaC9hcnRpY2xlc2hvdy80OTMyOTc3OS5jbXMi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B93f58b99 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">&nbsp;Economic Times</a>). The activist, Sudheendra Kulkarni, a one-time aide to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, organized a book launch event for Kurshid Mahmud Kasuri, a former Pakistani foreign minister. Later that day, a group of men forced Kulkarni out of his car, verbally accosted him, and then poured a bucket of black ink over his head. The Shiv Sena claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it &ldquo;non-violent and historic.&rdquo;&nbsp;This development comes amidst a recent string of troubling anti-Muslim incidents across India. Last month, a Muslim man was beaten to death by a mob in northern India for allegedly slaughtering cows and consuming beef, an act seen as taboo by some Hindus. Last week, state politicians from the ruling BJP party attacked a Muslim politician in Kashmir for serving beef at a private party, and the Shiv Sena forced the&nbsp;cancellation&nbsp;of a concert by a Pakistani singer.<br />
<br />
<i>Supreme Court clears Vajpayee government in &ldquo;Kargil scam&rdquo; case</i><br />
<br />
The Indian Supreme Court cleared the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday of involvement in an alleged corruption scheme during the 1999 Kargil War (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3RpbWVzb2ZpbmRpYS5pbmRpYXRpbWVzLmNvbS9pbmRpYS9TQy1icmluZ3MtY3VydGFpbi1kb3duLW9uLUthcmdpbC1zY2FtL2FydGljbGVzaG93LzQ5MzMxMDAwLmNtcyI/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7Bf96fb0b1 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">TOI</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3di5hc2lhbmFnZS5jb20vaW5kaWEva2FyZ2lsLXNjYW0tc3VwcmVtZS1jb3VydC1jbGVhbi1jaGl0LXZhanBheWVlLWdvdnQtNDAzIg/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B4ae378c0 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">&nbsp;Asian Age</a>). Since 2004, the Supreme Court has been monitoring an investigation of corruption charges in the procurement of munitions, missiles, and other military materiel during the three-month war with Pakistan. The court closed the case on Monday without finding anyone guilty. India&rsquo;s Central Bureau of Investigation, the central law enforcement agency charged with investigating the matter, had initially registered 25 separate cases but found insufficient evidence to proceed with any prosecutions.<br />
<br />
<i>70-year old Sikh militant to be released</i><br />
<br />
Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh cleared the release on Tuesday of 70-year-old Waryam Singh, a Sikh separatist arrested on terrorism charges in 1990 (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5uZHR2LmNvbS9pbmRpYS1uZXdzLzcwLXllYXItb2xkLXNpa2gtdGVycm9yaXN0LXdhcnlhbS1zaW5naC10by1iZS1mcmVlZC1kZWNpZGVzLWhvbWUtbWluaXN0cnktMTIzMTQ1NiI/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B3a25c938 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NDTV</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL2luZGlhbmV4cHJlc3MuY29tL2FydGljbGUvaW5kaWEvaW5kaWEtbmV3cy1pbmRpYS9taGEtYWxsb3dzLXJlbGVhc2Utb2YtNzAteXItb2xkLXNpa2gtbWlsaXRhbnQtb24tdGhlLWdyb3VuZC1vZi1vbGQtYWdlLWFuZC1nb29kLWNvbmR1Y3QvIg/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B49b17259 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">&nbsp;Indian Express</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL2Vjb25vbWljdGltZXMuaW5kaWF0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3cy9wb2xpdGljcy1hbmQtbmF0aW9uL3Jham5hdGgtc2luZ2gtb3JkZXJzLXJlbGVhc2Utb2Ytc2lraC1wcmlzb25lci1jb252aWN0ZWQtdW5kZXItdGFkYS9hcnRpY2xlc2hvdy80OTMyODcyNy5jbXMi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7Be51ab279 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">&nbsp;Economic Times</a>). Waryam Singh was convicted in 1995 under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, a law designed to combat a Sikh separatist movement in the northwestern state of Punjab. The law was allowed to lapse the same year due to unpopularity and allegations of abuse. Singh has been serving a life sentence in a prison in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, but his release has been approved on the grounds of &ldquo;old age&rdquo; and good conduct. The state government of Uttar Pradesh had requested his release, and Singh is one of 13 Sikh separatists petitioned for release by the Punjab chief minister.<br />
<br />
<i>-- Udit Banerjea</i><br />
<br />
<b>Pakistan</b><br />
<br />
<i>Landslide in Karachi kills 13</i><br />
<br />
On Tuesday, a landslide killed 13 people after hitting makeshift houses in the slums of Karachi (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL2FzaWFfcGFjaWZpYy9sYW5kc2xpZGUtaGl0cy1tYWtlc2hpZnQtaG9tZXMtaW4tcGFraXN0YW4ta2lsbGluZy0xMy8yMDE1LzEwLzEzLzRhZGI2NDJhLTcxNjYtMTFlNS1iYTE0LTMxOGY4ZTg3YTJmY19zdG9yeS5odG1sIg/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B0eead4b5 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Post</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3RyaWJ1bmUuY29tLnBrL3N0b3J5Lzk3MjAyNy8xMy1raWxsZWQtYXMtbGFuZHNsaWRlLWhpdHMta2FyYWNoaS1zbHVtcy8i/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B51c57c70 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYXduLmNvbS9uZXdzLzEyMTI3NzkvYXQtbGVhc3QtMTMta2lsbGVkLWFzLXJvY2tzbGlkZS1oaXRzLXNoYWNrcy1pbi1rYXJhY2hpIg/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B7c4921dc style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>). Seven children died in the landslide with one being as young as six months. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief over the incident, according to Pakistani state television.<br />
<br />
<i>Austrian company finds gas reserves in Sindh</i><br />
<br />
On Monday, Austrian oil and gas company OMV issued a press release saying it had discovered a new gas deposit at the Latif exploration block in Sindh province (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3RyaWJ1bmUuY29tLnBrL3N0b3J5Lzk3MjEzMi9hdXN0cmlhbi1jb21wYW55LWZpbmRzLWdhcy1yZXNlcnZlcy1pbi1zaW5kaC8i/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B010cdf9d style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/click/5324906.37301/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYXduLmNvbS9uZXdzLzEyMTI4MTQvYXVzdHJpYW4tY29tcGFueS1maW5kcy1nYXMtcmVzZXJ2ZXMtaW4tc2luZGgi/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c7B87e5927a style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>). Johann Pleininger, an OMV board member in charge of exploration and production, stated: &ldquo;We are very pleased with this exploration success.&rdquo; The company began gas exploration in Sindh in 1991 and holds a 33.4 percent stake in the Latif exploration license alongside its partners Pakistan Petroleum Ltd and the Italian energy group Eni.<br />
<br />
<i>-- David Sterman</i><br />
<br />
<i>Edited by Peter Bergen</i><br />
<br />
STR/AFP/Getty Images<br />

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