VIF Information Alerts - 17 September 2018

Pakistan action against terror funding not satisfactory: FATF body

Published: The Indian Express
17 Sep 2018

Almost three months after Pakistan was placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for failing to curb terror funding, Pakistan’s recent action against terror financing, particularly on the “legal” front, was found to be “unsatisfactory”, according to a review by the Asia Pacific Policy Group (APPG). Official sources said that a review held on September 11-12 in Jakarta observed that “not much has been achieved by Pakistan, especially on the legal side (like freezing of assets, attachment of funds, militant groups infrastructures etc).”Click here to read.... [2]

CJP’s statement on Kalabagh dam draws sharp criticism

Published: The Dawn
17 Sep 2018

Sindh’s nationalist, national and religious parties have strongly reacted to Chief Justice of Pakistan’s assertion he will launch work on Kalabagh dam after having built Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams and warned Sindh’s people will never accept the controversial reservoir project.

In Hyderabad, Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo said in a statement issued here that Kalabagh dam was a death warrant for the province hence it would never be accepted. No court, parliament or administrative authority had a right to destroy Sindh, he said.Click here to read.... [3]

Political Parties Close IEC Offices In Three Provinces

Published: TOLO News
15 Sep 2018

As Afghanistan has only 34 days to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections, a number of major political parties have closed the offices of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Balkh, Kandahar and Herat provinces over their demands on a transparent election and a change in polls system. The political parties that operate under the “Grand National Coalition” have warned to close the IEC offices in Nangarhar, Kunduz, Bamiyan, Panjsher, Faryab and Jawzjan provinces if their demands were not met.Click here to read.... [4]

Taliban Seeks Prisoner Swap As Part of Peace Talks

Published: TOLO News
16 Sep 2018

Anas Haqqani, the youngest son of the feared Haqqani terror network’s founder is among hundreds of prisoners whom the Taliban is demanding be released as part of an upcoming round of talks with the United States, four Taliban officials told NBC News.

“This meeting with the US authorities would either help pave the way for more meaningful talks or stop them forever,” a Taliban commander in Helmand province said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. “If they are sincere in talks in the future, they would accept our proposal for a prisoners’ exchange.”Click here to read.... [5]

Sri Lanka seeks UN reprieve over war crimes probe

Published: Dhaka Tribune
15 Sep 2018

Sri Lanka's president said on Friday that he wants the United Nations to drop its demand for state accountability over the alleged killing of some 40,000 Tamil civilians by government forces during a brutal civil war. Maithripala Sirisena told local editors in Colombo that he will ask the UN General Assembly to allow Sri Lanka to "amicably resolve" war crime allegations against the majority Sinhalese government forces who fought a 37-year conflict against Tamil separatists. Click here to read.... [6]

Belying police claims, Islamic State shadow lengthens over Kashmir Valley

Published: The Hindu
15 Sep 2018

Asif Nazir Dar, an engineering dropout, is remembered by locals and friends in Pulwama’s Panzgam area as a “polite and religious person who never participated in street protests”. Dar was found dead on September 8 outside Srinagar’s Kashmir University campus. Soon messages on social media platforms affiliated to the Islamic State said he had been killed on the orders of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo. However, a day later, another message was posted that Dar was killed by “Indian agencies.” Confirming the latter post, a senior J&K police official said Dar was the tenth militant influenced by the Islamic State (IS) ideology to be killed in the past 10 months in the Valley.Click here to read.... [7]