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Note: The news returns to its regular daily update schedule from today, with coverage of events during the June 15 – June 23 period. Apologies for the interruption in service and resulting length of this brief. Thanks for reading.
Topline
- In a statement on June 17, the Financial Action Task Force announced that it had “made the initial determination that Pakistan has substantially completed its two action plans” to meet compliance criteria for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls. Pakistan remains on the “grey list” pending an “onsite visit” by FATF officials, the date for which has not been set.
- More than a thousand people have been killed in an earthquake in Paktika over the night of June 21-22; the death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue. The country is also facing heavy rainfall across several provinces; disaster management officials report that as many as 400 people have been killed in separate flooding across the country. The Taliban announced the allocation of Afs 1 billion to provide assistance to victims’ families. Japan and South Korea have pledged aid; initial shipments of assistance from Qatar, Iran, and Pakistan began arriving on June 23.
- IMF and Pakistani finance ministry officials are continuing negotiations for the revival of the stalled lending agreement; on June 22, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that he expected an extension and increase in the amount of the loan, but did not provide details. The government further raised petroleum prices on June 16, for the third time in the past month, and is reportedly considering the imposition of additional taxes to meet Fund criteria. As of June 21, the State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign reserves had declined to $8.99 billion; on June 22, Ismail announced a new lending agreement with a Chinese bank consortium that he said would provide $2.3 billion.
- At least two people, including a Taliban security guard, were killed in an attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul on June 18; the Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack.
- On June 20, the UK government confirmed the release of five British nationals who had been detained by the Taliban in December; former journalist and Kabul businessman Peter Jouvenal was among those released. In a separate statement, the UK charge d’affaires for Afghanistan, Hugo Shorter, said that the UK did not support “any activity inciting violence for political purposes” in Afghanistan.
- The MQM narrowly won by-elections for the NA-240 constituency in Karachi on June 16, beating the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan candidate by a margin of 65 votes. Overall turnout was low, and at least one person was killed and several injured in a shooting at a polling station that targeted Pak Sarzameen Party leader Mustafa Kamal, who was injured. Separately, the Islamabad High Court has postponed local government elections in the capital, ordering changes to constituency boundaries; those elections had been scheduled for July 31.
- On June 21, the UN Security Council withdrew sanctions exemptions for Taliban minister of higher education Abdul Baqi Basir Awal Shah and deputy minister of education Said Ahmad Shahidkhel; sanctions exemptions for thirteen other Taliban officials were extended.
- PM Shehbaz, top army and intelligence officials, and parliamentary leaders met on June 22 to review negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
- On June 17, former German ambassador Markus Potzel was appointed deputy special representative for the UN to Afghanistan. Outgoing special envoy Deborah Lyons issued a farewell statement on June 16; her replacement as special representative has not yet been announced.
- The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is reportedly seeking to centralize control over domain name system servers in the country; the PTA denied the report.
- On June 20, Pres. Alvi formally refused to assent to legislation passed by the government amending the NAB law and electoral law. In remarks at a press conference on June 22, federal Law Minister Azam Nazeem Tarar suggested that the government would finalize an appointment for the NAB chairman by the end of the week.
- The PML-N government in Punjab held a rival session of the Punjab assembly starting on June 15 to introduce its budget amid ongoing disputes with Punjab assembly speaker and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who had blocked the presentation of the budget the day prior.
Pakistan — Security
- FATF Scrutiny: In a statement on June 17 following a plenary session in Germany the preceding week, the Financial Action Task Force announced that it had “made the initial determination that Pakistan has substantially completed its two action plans” to meet compliance criteria for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls. The FATF said that Pakistan would remain on the “grey list”, to which it was added in 2018, pending an “onsite visit”, the date for which has not been announced. The Express Tribune quotes anonymous official sources who say they expect that process to run through at least February 2023. Pakistani civilian and military officials welcomed the announcement, with PTI former government officials claiming credit for the change in status. A “special cell” was formed by the Pakistani army in 2019 to address the FATF listing. [AP] [Dawn] [ET] [Dawn] [The News]
- TTP Negotiations: Speaking at a press conference on June 22, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan would “be taken forward under the guidance of parliament” and “under the framework of the constitution”; he did not elaborate. Sanaullah’s remarks followed a meeting earlier in the day between PM Shehbaz, top army and intelligence officials, and parliamentary leaders to review the talks. On June 18, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reconfirmed the current ceasefire agreement between the TTP and Pakistani military. Meanwhile, Karachi police announced the arrest of a TTP suspect on June 19. [The News] [ET] [Dawn] [Dawn]
- PTM Crackdown: Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement lawmaker Ali Wazir, who has been imprisoned on sedition charges since December 2020, was allegedly attacked twice outside the Karachi hospital where had had been transferred on the evening of June 22; Wazir accused jail authorities of transferring him there to prevent his attendance at the national assembly budget session.
- Balochistan Attacks: Five laborers working on a road construction project in Balochistan’s Harnai district were kidnapped in an attack on the evening of June 17; three were killed and another five wounded in the attack. No claim of responsibility was reported. Separately, a police officer was killed in a driveby shooting in the town of Dera Murad Jamali on June 18. On June 19, the military announced that it had killed six Baloch Liberation Front militants in an operation in the Panjgur district. [ET] [Dawn]
- Waziristan Attacks: Six people, including four youth activists, were killed in an attack on their vehicle in North Waziristan on June 19. A Pakistani soldier was killed in an attack on his checkpost in North Waziristan on June 18. [Dawn]
Pakistan — Politics and Diplomacy
- Internet Controls: Pakistan Today reports that the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is seeking centralize control over domain name system servers in the country, which would allow it to directly monitor web traffic searches and institute domain blocks directly without providing a list of restricted domains to internet service providers. In a statement following the article’s publication, the PTA said it had “only implemented an automation of block of unlawful content”, and denied that it was seeking a centralized DNS system. [Dawn]
- External Relations: Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington, Masood Khan, met with Pres. Biden on June 15 for an official photograph; they “had a brief conversation on building a strong basis for moving the US-Pakistan ties forward”, according to an embassy readout. On June 14, PTI leader Shireen Mazari objected to reported meetings by US ambassador Donald Blome with the Pakistani foreign ministry. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Tehran from June 14-15, where he met with Pres. Raisi and his counterpart Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; at a joint press conference, Bilawal said that the two sides had “come closer to resolving” some of the obstacles to bilateral barter trade, but did not provide details. In remarks at an event in Islamabad on June 16, Bilawal called for re-engaging with India, saying it did not “serve our objective that we have practically cut off all engagements”; in a statement the following day, the foreign ministry said that Bilawal’s remarks were “interpreted out of context” and that there was “no change in Pakistan’s policy on India”. PM Shehbaz met with delegations of Saudi and Bahraini businessmen on June 20 and June 22, calling for investment in Pakistan. Chief of Army Staff Bajwa met with the visiting Italian chief of defense in Rawalpindi on Thursday.[ET] [ET] [ET] [Dawn] [Dawn]
- PTI Fundraising: On June 21, the Election Commission announced the completion of hearings on alleged illegal overseas fundraising by the PTI; a verdict has not been announced. Earlier on June 15, the PTI argued that the ECP should resolve complaints against all the major political parties and delay verdict until all cases are heard. [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn]
- NAB Leadership: In remarks at a press conference on June 22, federal Law Minister Azam Nazeem Tarar suggested that the government would finalize an appointment for the National Accountability Bureau chairman within the next two days. In remarks on June 21, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz accused Imran Khan of blackmailing former NAB chairman Javed Iqbal; the Public Accounts Committee in the national assembly has opened an investigation into the issue. On June 20, Pres. Alvi formally refused to assent to legislation passed by the government amending the NAB law, which a joint session of parliament had passed on June 9 to override his earlier veto; in a press conference on June 21, Imran Khan said that the PTI would petition the Supreme Court against those amendments. [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET] [ET]
- Elections: Provisional results indicate that the MQM narrowly won by-elections for the NA-240 constituency in Karachi on June 16, beating the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan candidate by a margin of 65 votes. Overall turnout was low, at less than ten percent; TLP leaders have called for a recount and alleged manipulation of the results. ECP officials are investigating at least one polling station whose ballot box was reportedly taken, and formed an inquiry committee on June 23. At least one person was killed and several injured in a shooting at a polling station that targeted Pak Sarzameen Party leader Mustafa Kamal, who was injured; police have filed charges against both the TLP and PSP leadership for the incident. On June 19, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered additional police security measures ahead of local government elections in the city scheduled for July 24. The first phase of local elections in four other divisions of Sindh will be held on June 26. Separately, the ECP is investigating clashes on June 18 between rival PTI and PML-N activists ahead of the PP-167 Lahore by-elections. On June 20, the ECP formally requested assistance from the military to provide security for local elections and the upcoming bye-elections. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has postponed local government elections in the capital, ordering changes to constituency boundaries; those elections had been scheduled for July 31. By-elections for the NA-245 seat in Karachi held by the late Aamir Liquat Hussain have been scheduled for July 27. On June 19, Pres. Alvi refused to assent to amendments to the election law forced through by the government earlier this month. [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [The News] [The News] [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET]
- PTI in Opposition: The PTI staged demonstrations in several major cities around the country on June 19 to protest rising inflation; addressing the crowds through remote broadcast, Imran Khan denounced the current government’s management of the economy and reiterated accusations that the United States had conspired to oust his government. In an interview on June 14, Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar said that the military had “no objection whasteover” to the formation of a judicial commission to investigate Imran’s allegations of a foreign conspiracy, but noted previous statements by the civil-military National Security Committee dismissing conspiracy claims. PTI leaders criticized Iftikhar’s remarks; he denied that he was “making a political statement”. In remarks on June 22, Imran Khan denied that he was seeking to make former ISI chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed the next chief of army staff prior to his ouster, but said that his political rivals “feared that if that would have happened then it would shatter their future”. [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [The News] [Dawn]
- Punjab Standoff: The PML-N government in Punjab held a rival session of the Punjab assembly on June 15 to introduce its budget amid ongoing disputes with Punjab assembly speaker and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who had blocked the presentation of the budget the day prior. The Lahore High Court has begun hearing a challenge to an ordinance from Governor Balighur Rehman curtailing Elahi’s powers as speaker. The PML-N-led assembly approved its budget in the absence of the opposition in a vote on June 22. [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET]
- Other Legal Proceedings: Dissident PTI Punjab assembly lawmaker Aisah Nawaz has petitioned the Supreme Court for a review of its ruling discounting the votes of lawmakers who defect from party guidance. The Supreme Court Bar Association also filed an review petition on June 23. On June 20, a Lahore accountability court granted PM Shehbaz a permanent exemption from court appearances in a 2019 fraud case related to his family’s sugar mill. On June 15, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi was charged with money laundering; he received bail after a court appearance on June 22. The Islamabad High Court has formed a commission to investigate former PTI minister Shireen Mazari’s arrest last month, ordering a report by July 4. The IHC dismissed charges against Mazari’s daughter for defamation against the military leadership on June 20. PTI Sindh provincial assembly member Shabbir Qureshi was arrested on sexual assault charges on June 19. [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [ET] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [The News] [The News] [The News]
- Musharraf Return: In a statement on June 14, Nawaz Sharif said that he had “no personal enmity” towards former Pres. Musharraf, and that the government should allow his return to Pakistan. Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar confirmed in an interview on June 14 that the military was in contact with Musharraf’s family regarding his return. In a statement on June 19, Musharraf’s family said that they were still considering the “significant medical, legal, and security challenges” before making a decision on his return. [ET] [ET] [ET] [Dawn]
- Other Political Activity: In remarks at a PPP rally on June 22, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for supporters to “give this government some time to carry out economic and electoral reforms”. Separately, the PPP has announced that it will endorse the PML-N candidates for twenty Punjab assembly constituencies vacated after the defection and disqualification from office of PTI lawmakers in April. Rival factions of the Balochistan Awami Party split after Balochistan assembly speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo was elected party president on June 20; former chief minister Jama Kamal Khan Alyani has rejected his leadership. [ET] [ET] [Dawn] [Dawn]
Pakistan — Economics and Development
- IMF Negotiations: In a Reuters interview on June 22, the IMF representative for Pakistan said that “important progress has been made” in ongoing negotiations for the revival of the stalled lending agreement; Finance Minister Miftah Ismail confirmed the talks and said that he expected an extension and increase in the amount of the loan, but did not provide details. The government had further raised petroleum prices on June 16, for the third time in the past month. Ismail told journalists that “all budget-related issues had been settled” with the Fund; Dawn reports that the government has agreed to additional petroleum taxes and a progressive corporate tax to support poverty programming, among other revenue reforms. At a press conference on June 23, Ismail confirmed plans for additional income taxes on those with incomes over Rs 150 million, saying that the government was ensuring that “the sacrifice is shared”. As of June 21, the State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign reserves had declined to $8.99 billion; on June 22, Ismail announced a new lending agreement with a Chinese bank consortium that he said would provide $2.3 billion. PM Shehbaz reportedly plans a national address following the finalization of the IMF agreement; in remarks in parliament on June 16, Shehbaz blamed his PTI predecessors for the need to cut fuel subsidies and return to the IMF. The finance ministry team reportedly met with US Ambassador Blome on June 17 to discuss the IMF program. Separately, a EU delegation arrived in Islamabad on June 22 to review Pakistan’s GSP+ trading status. [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET] [ET] [ET]
- Budget Debate: Most national assembly lawmakers skipped the parliamentary session on June 15 to debate the current federal budget proposal; several ministers, including Finance Minister Ismail, also skipped the debate on June 22, prompting complaints from fellow coalition members. In a June 14 interview, Pakistan’s military spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar defended the budget’s allocation for defense spending, arguing that it had declined in real terms and as a share of GDP. Separately, PTI and PPP lawmakers brawled in the Sindh assembly on June 14, disrupting the PPP’s budget presentation. The Balochistan provincial government presented its budget proposal for the new fiscal year on June 21. On June 18, the Punjab provincial government adopted new restrictions on market activity after 9 PM to curtail energy consumption. [AP] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET] [ET]
Pakistan — Remainders
- Plaintiff Withdraws from Terror Financing Case Against National Bank of Pakistan [Dawn] [ET]
- Islamabad Police Seek to Tighten Registration of Foreigners and Refugees [Dawn] [Dawn]
- Pakistan Seeks Out-of-Court Settlement in Reko Diq Case [ET]
- Karachi Court Orders Autopsy of Aamir Liquat; Sindh High Court Blocks Action [ET] [Dawn] [Dawn]
- First Batch of Pakistani Students Return to China After COVID Restrictions [ET]
- Lawmaker Daniyal Aziz Hospitalized After Traffic Accident [Dawn] [The News]
Afghanistan — Security
Afghanistan — Politics and Diplomacy
- Prisoner Releases: On June 20, the UK government confirmed the release of five British nationals who had been detained by the Taliban in December; their identities were not disclosed, but family members confirmed that former journalist and Kabul businessman Peter Jouvenal was among those released. In a separate statement, the UK charge d’affaires for Afghanistan, Hugo Shorter, said that the UK did not support “any activity inciting violence for political purposes” in Afghanistan. [WSJ] [Ariana News]
- Travel Restrictions: On June 21, the UN Security Council withdrew sanctions exemptions for Taliban minister of higher education Abdul Baqi Basir Awal Shah and deputy minister of education Said Ahmad Shahidkhel; sanctions exemptions for thirteen other Taliban officials were extended. Human rights groups had called for the broader reinstatement of sanctions. In a statement on June 22, the Taliban criticized the reimposition of sanctions on the two officials. [Ariana News]
- UN Envoy: On June 17, former German ambassador Markus Potzel was appointed deputy special representative for the UN to Afghanistan. Outgoing special envoy Deborah Lyons issued a farewell statement on June 16, expressing heartbreak for “the millions of Afghan girls who are denied their right to education, and the many Afghan women full of talent who are being told to stay at home”. Lyons held the position since 2020; her replacement as special representative has not yet been announced. [TOLO] [Ariana News] [Khaama Press]
- Haibatullah Meets with Kandahar Businessmen: Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada made a rare public appearance in Kandahar on June 20, meeting with leaders of the local business community.
- International Engagement: In remarks to reporters on June 19, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid blamed the United States as the “biggest obstacle” to recognition for the Taliban government. In separate remarks on the 19th, deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai called on Afghanistan’s neighboring countries to expand relations. In a June 14 interview, Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov said that Russia would decide on recognition for the Taliban government “regardless of what the United States and everybody may think” but that this would be contingent on “inclusive ethnopolitical government”; on June 15, a spokesman for Pres. Putin said that recognition “is not on the current agenda”. The head of the Afghan chamber of commerce and industry signed an agreement with the Russian counterpart chamber in a visit to Moscow on June 23. Uzbekistan’s national security advisor visited Kabul on June 20 for meetings with senior Taliban officials; the two countries have agreed to conduct a survey for a rail project linking Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad. [Ariana News] [Ariana News] [Ariana News] [TOLO]
- Women’s Rights: In remarks on June 19, Taliban deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai said that every man and woman in Afghanistan had a “natural and Islamic right” to education. Hasht-e-Subh / 8AM reports that the Taliban have imposed new dress restrictions on female teachers in Ghazni province. [TOLO] [TOLO]
- Refugees and Repatriation: On June 14, the Biden administration loosened terrorism-related immigration restrictions for Afghan individuals who had been forced to interact with the Taliban government. The UNHCR estimates that more than 250,000 Afghan nationals seeking asylum have crossed into Pakistan since January 2021. The Taliban ministry of refugees and repatriation reports that as many as 700,000 Afghans have returned to the country since the collapse of the former government last August; the UN reports only 850 refugees have participated in the voluntary repatriation program from Pakistan since January 2022, however. On June 21, Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with a group of former government officials who have returned to the country, pledging to protect their safety. [TOLO] [Ariana News]
Afghanistan — Economics and Development
- Paktika Earthquake: More than a thousand people have been killed in a shallow, magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Paktika over the night of June 21-22; it is the deadliest earthquake to strike the area since 2002. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue, which are still ongoing as of this writing. The country is also facing heavy rainfall across several provinces; disaster management officials report that as many as 400 people have been killed in separate flooding across the country. Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada issued a statement of condolence following the quake on June 22. The Taliban have announced the allocation of Afs 1 billion to provide assistance to victims’ families, and the Taliban foreign ministry said that it would welcome foreign assistance. Japan and South Korea have pledged aid; initial shipments of assistance from Qatar, Iran, and Pakistan began arriving on June 23. [AP] [Guardian] [Guardian] [ET] [TOLO]
- Economic Management: Taliban deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called on Afghan expatriates to reinvest in the country at a conference in Kabul on June 19; the Taliban announced the formation of a state-run corporation to consolidate and manage $250 million from a group of thirteen unidentified investors. Earlier, Afghan central bank officials met with a group of economist and professors from Afghan universities on June 15 to discuss management of the currency.
Afghanistan — Remainders
- US May Let Tajikistan Hold on to Fleeing Afghan Aircraft [Reuters]
- Former Government Employees Hold Protest Over Unpaid Pensions [TOLO] [Khaama Press]
- Commentary: Policing Public Morality – “The Taleban and Amr bil-Maruf may have changed in terms of how they want to enforce particular behaviour and dress, but they still think it is right to impose their reading of sharia on other Afghans.” [Sabawoon Samim, AAN]
colin cookman 