H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Political uncertainty in Punjab
• Civil-military equation
• Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-India
Afghanistan:
• Taliban defy international pressure to stick to conservative agenda
• Terror and violence
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-US
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
Pakistan’s economic survey for the fiscal year July 2021 to June
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Political Situation
• Economy
• Terrorism and Violence
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Conservatives continue to hold sway
• Terrorism
• Reports of clashes in Panjshir
• Afghanistan-India
II Developments in Pakistan
Political Situation
Having surprised both the army leadership and his political opponents by holding well attended rallies in various
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Political turmoil
• Economy
• Terror violence grows and hits Chinese interests again
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Significant spike in violence
• Eid message from the Supreme Taliban leader
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-Iran
II Developments in Pakistan
Political Turmoil
Change of government took place both at the federal level and in the Punjab province
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Constitutional Crisis
• Economy
• Terrorism
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan on the Ukraine Crisis
• Pakistan-Uzbekistan
• Pakistan hosts OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting
Afghanistan:
• Taliban’s growing acceptance as the de-facto rulers of Afghanistan
• Taliban hardliners assert themselves
• Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries in China
II Developments
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Political Scene
• Terrorism
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-Russia
Afghanistan:
• Humanitarian situation
• Terrorism
• Human Rights situation
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-China
II Developments in Pakistan
Political Scene
The opposition efforts that had hitherto failed to dislodge the Imran Khan government gathered steam
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Political situation
• Economy
• Terrorism and extremism
• National Security Policy unveiled
• Pakistan-India
Afghanistan:
• Humanitarian crisis
• Continued human rights violations reported
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-Iran
• Taliban engagement with other members of the international community
II Developments in Pakistan
Political situation
Its image
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Extremism and terrorism
• Political Scene
• National Security Policy
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Humanitarian crisis
• No recognition but countries engage with the Taliban
• OIC Foreign Ministers’ meet on Afghanistan
• Pakistan-Taliban contradictions to the fore
• Indian aid
• Taliban stick to their old ways
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
Barely six months after adopting a development oriented budget, contrary to the belt-tightening conditions of
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Security situation and terrorism
• PM-army chief discord on appointment of DG ISI
• Economy
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-India
Afghanistan:
• Violence continues
• Apprehensions of a socio-economic collapse
• Security concerns in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood
• Afghanistan-China
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-India
II Developments in Pakistan
Security situation and terrorism
Security situation in Pakistan’s north-west continued to be fraught in spite
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Uncertainty on Pakistan-US relations
• Concerns on CPEC slowdown
• Terrorism and security concerns
Afghanistan:
• Taliban consolidate territorial control
• “Interim” Taliban government
• Governance challenges confront the Taliban
• International opinion
• Pakistan’s role
• India’s options
II Developments in Pakistan
Uncertainty on Pakistan-US relations
There had been apprehensions in Pakistan in the run up to the US exit from Afghanistan
SPECIAL ISSUE
IMPLICATIONS OF THE TALIBAN MILITARY VICTORY IN AFGHANISTAN
The US-Taliban deal of February 2020, by giving legitimacy to the Taliban, without linking the withdrawal of the US forces to a political settlement in Afghanistan, had placed a question mark over the continuance of a democratic, republican system in the country. There were warnings of collapse of the Afghan forces in the face of an inevitable Taliban onslaught as the Americans departed. The only surprise was the speed of
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Controversy over POK polls
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
Addressing his first press conference in Islamabad barely a month before presentation of the national budget for the financial year 2021-22 (July 2021-June 2022), the newly appointed Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin said that the government had informed both IMF and World
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Split in Pakistan Democratic Movement
• Religious Extremism
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Russia
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
According to the IMF staff level report on the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan, released in April, the Government of Pakistan has agreed to fulfil certain stringent conditions, including a steep increase in electricity tariff and imposition.
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Pakistan Democratic Movement on the brink of breakup
• Economy
• ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Pakistan Democratic Movement on the brink of breakup
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of opposition parties, came to the brink of a breakup in March. The month began with Yusuf Raza Gilani, the former PPP Prime Minister and PDM
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Pakistan stays on FATF grey list
• IMF Extended Fund Facility to be revived
• Pakistan-India agree to cease firing along the LoC and all other sectors
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-Sri Lanka
• Pakistan-France
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-India
II Developments in Pakistan
Pakistan stays on the FATF grey list
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to retain Pakistan on its grey list in its meeting held in the last week of February.
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
• Terrorism
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-China
II Developments in Pakistan
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
The opposition alliance -Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)- was nowhere close to its declared goal of forcing the Imran Khan government out of power and confined itself largely to threatening rhetoric at its rallies. Speaking in the beginning
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Pakistan Democratic Movement running out of steam?
• Economy
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-China
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-Iran
II Developments in Pakistan
Pakistan Democratic Movement running out of steam?
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of eleven opposition parties formed in September 2020 to, inter alia, press for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and an end to the role of army in politics,
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
• Economy
• Terrorism
• Pakistan-India
• OIC on Kashmir
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Russia
• Pakistan not to recognise Israel
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Geneva Pledging Conference on Afghanistan
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
The eleven party opposition alliance- PDM- continued to hold well attended rallies in various parts of Pakistan in spit
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Opposition Parties
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Opposition Parties
In November 2019, Nawaz Sharif, who had remained incarcerated on corruption charges since December 2018, was allowed to leave Pakistan for medical treatment in London by the PTI government based on an order of the Lahore High Court. Though the initial court permission was for four weeks, extendable on med
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Terrorism
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-Saudi Arabia
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Israel
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Terrorism
With an eye on its forthcoming review at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Pakistan issued two notifications regarding application of UNSC prescribed sanctions on 88 leaders and members of various terror groups included in the UNSC 1267 list. Those mentioned in the notifications
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Terrorism
• Religious Extremism
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Bangladesh
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• COVID-19 Pandemic
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-India
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
According to a report of IMF, Pakistan’s growth during the current financial year (July 2020 to June 2021) is expected to be 1% as against minus 0.4% during the last financial year. In the budget passed by Parliament in June this year
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Budget 2020-21
• Terrorism and FATF
• Pashtun Tahafuz Movement
• COVID-19 crisis
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Corruption
• COVID-19 crisis
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-Iran
II Developments in Pakistan
Budget 2020-21
The Pakistan National Assembly approved the budget for 2020-21 in the backdrop of worsening economic situation, particularly because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Economic Survey presented bef
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• COVID-19 crisis
• Terrorism
• Allegations of wrongdoing against leading PTI members
• Army tightens grip on Information Ministry
• Pakistan-India
Afghanistan:
• US-Taliban deal
• Controversy surrounding the Presidential election
• COVID-19 crisis
• Arrest of “Islamic State” terrorist
• Continued violence
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
According to a World Bank report, Pakistan will suffer a sharp economic recession
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• COVID-19 crisis
• Pakistan raises Kashmir at SAARC leaders’ video conference on COVID-19
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Iran
Afghanistan:
• US-Taliban deal
• Controversy over result of the Presidential election continues
• COVID-19 crisis
• Afghanistan-US
• Afghanistan-Iran
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Afghanistan-India
• ICC ruling on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
No sooner had Pakistan successfully completed the second
H I G H L I G H T S
• Overview
• Developments in Pakistan
• Developments in Afghanistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Financial Action Task Force
• Extension of tenure of the Army Chief
• Musharraf Treason case
• Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM)
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-UAE
• Pakistan-China
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Presidential Election Result Delayed Further
• UN seeks emergency aid for Afghanistan
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Musharraf sentenced to death on treason charge
• Extension of tenure of the Army Chief
• Financial Action Task Force
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan skips Kuala Lumpur Summit of Muslim countries
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-China
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Result of Presidential Election
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
The ADB approved two loans amounting to $1.3 billion for Pakistan. The first quick disbursement loan of $1 billion would be part
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Controversy surrounding extension of army chief’s tenure
• JUI(F)’s Azadi march
• Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)
• Treason case against Musharraf
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Iran
Afghanistan:
• Presidential election result delayed
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Afghanistan-India
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Controversy surrounding extension of army chief’s tenure
In July this year, PM Imran Khan had announced an exte
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Growing role of the Army
• JUI (F)’s Azadi March
• Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force
• Gwadar Port
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-Afghanistan
• Pakistan wades into Iran-Saudi rift
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Results of Presidential Election delayed
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy
In a report released in October, World Bank said that the Pak economy was slowing down as it faced another macroeconomic crisis due to hig
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Opposition Parties
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-Afghanistan
• No move to recognize Israel
• Pakistan-Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Presidential election
• UNSC Renews mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Opposition Parties
The number of opposition leaders arrested in the name of accountability continued to grow with another prominent name- Syed Khursheed Shah of PPP- added
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Opposition Parties
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-China
• Pakistan-US
• Pakistan-Afghanistan
• No move to recognize Israel
• Pakistan-Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Presidential election
• UNSC Renews mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Opposition Parties
The number of opposition leaders arrested in the name of accountability continued to grow with another prominent name- Syed Khursheed Shah of PPP- added
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Government’s hounding of opposition continues
• Economy
• Army Chief’s tenure extended
• Pakistan’s troubles at FATF continue
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation moves
• Uncertainty concerning the Presidential Election
II Developments in Pakistan
Government’s hounding of opposition continues
The Imran Khan government continued to target major opposition leaders through the accountability process. Releasing a secretly recorded video
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy and Budget
• Judiciary
• Opposition unity
• New DG ISI appointed
• FATF censures Pakistan again
• Pakistan-India
• Pakistan-US
• PM Imran Khan at the SCO summit
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation moves
• President Ghani visits Pakistan
• President Ghani at the SCO summit
II Developments in Pakistan
Economy and budget
The government presented its budget for the financial year 2019-20 in the Parliament on June 12 in the midst of a precarious economic situa
I Overview
Pakistan
• Terrorism
• PTM in the crosshairs of the Pakistan army
• Opposition parties
• Senior army officers convicted of espionage
• IMF bailout
• Pakistan-India
• Mega CPEC projects inaugurated
• Pakistan-Iran
Afghanistan
• Peace and Reconciliation moves
• Extension of President Ghani’s term criticized
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Terrorism
An explosion triggered by a suicide bomber on May 8 close to an Elite Force van, stationed near the Sufi shrine
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Cabinet reshuffle- Finance Minister resigns
• Terror attacks
• State targets Pashtun Tahafuz Movement
• Pakistan-India relations
• Pakistan-China relations
• Pakistan-Iran relations
Afghanistan:
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Taliban announce spring offensive
• Extension of Presidential term
• Peace Jirga meets
• Afghanistan-Pakistan relations
II Developments in Pakistan
Economic turmoil continues
In its World Economic Outlook, the IMF has projected that in
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Economy
• Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force
• No consensus on continuation of military courts
• Pakistan India relations worsen
• Pakistan-China relations
• Pakistan-Saudi Arabia
• Pakistan-Iran
Afghanistan:
• Peace and reconciliation moves
• SIGAR report on Afghanistan
• Further postponement of Presidential election
• Afghanistan-Pakistan
• Chabahar Port
II Developments in Pakistan
Economic uncertainty continues
Taking note of deterioration in Pakistan’s ec
SPECIAL ISSUE
Pulwama terror attack and its aftermath
The Indo-Pak relationship that has remained in free fall over the last few years reached a crisis point when in one of the worst terror attacks on February 14, at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. A vehicle laden with explosives rammed into one of the buses in a CRPF convoy that was carrying troops from Jammu to Srinagar. Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibile
I Overview
Pakistan:
• Status of “Gilgit-Baltistan”
• Blasphemy Law- acquittal upheld
• Proposed extension of term of military courts
• Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force
• Indo-Pak relations
Afghanistan:
- Peace and Reconciliation
• Presidential election
• Results of Parliamentary election
• India and Afghanistan
II Developments in Pakistan
Supreme Court extends its jurisdiction to “Gilgit-Baltistan”
Delivering a judgment on January 17 on a set of petitions challenging the Gilgit-
