ISLAMABAD, 12 August 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the United States of seeing his country as useful only in the context of the mess it is leaving behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting.

Washington has been pressing Pakistan to use its influence over the Taliban to broker an elusive peace deal as negotiations between the insurgents and Afghan government have stalled, and violence in Afghanistan has escalated sharply.

PM Imran told foreign journalists at his home in Islamabad "Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was not one."

The United States will pull out its military by Aug 31, 20 years after toppling the Taliban government in 2001. But, as the United States leaves, the Taliban today controls more territory than at any point since then.

KABUL, 12 August 2021, (TON): A local minister told media “the Taliban have captured the city of Faizabad in northern Afghanistan, the ninth provincial capital to fall to the insurgents in less than a week.”

Lawmaker Zabihullah Attiq said "late last night, the security forces who had been fighting the Taliban for several days came under intense pressure. The Taliban have captured the city now. Both sides have also suffered heavy losses."

Faizabad has become the ninth provincial capital after Aybak, Qala-e-Nau, Lashkargah, Zaranj, Sheberghan, Kunduz, Taluqan and Sar-e-Pul to be partly or partially overrun by the Taliban.

After taking over nearly 200 rural districts last month, the Taliban launched assaults on major cities, marching on Herat, Kandahar, Taluqan and Lashkargah, causing panic and anxiety among millions of civilians.

The Taliban could isolate Kabul in 30 days and potentially take it over in 90 days, a US defence official said, citing a US intelligence assessment.

Taliban fighters have taken control of ninth provincial capitals in six days, a pace that has surprised US officials.

Taliban forces now control 65 per cent of Afghanistan and have taken or threaten to take 11 provincial capitals, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.

KABUL, 12 August 2021, (TON): Two Turkish officials said that Turkey is for now still intent on running and guarding Kabul airport after other foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan, but is monitoring the situation after rapid advances by Taliban insurgents.

Taliban fighters took control of another city in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the eighth provincial capital to fall to the Islamist militants in six days, as US-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal.

Turkey has offered to deploy troops at Kabul airport after NATO withdraws and has held talks with the United States for weeks. President Tayyip Erdogan has asked it to meet financial, logistical and diplomatic conditions.

A senior Turkish official told media "for now nothing has changed regarding the TAF (Turkish Armed Forces) taking control of Kabul Airport. The talks and the process are continuing."

He said "work is continuing on the basis that the transfer will happen, but of course the situation in Afghanistan is being followed closely.”

The Taliban have warned Turkey against keeping troops in Afghanistan to guard the airport but Ankara has maintained its stance.

NEW DELHI, 12 August 2021, (TON): Indian officials said that a landslide in the mountainous Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has killed at least 10, injured 14 and left dozens trapped after boulders tumbled onto a major highway on Wednesday, smashing and burying several vehicles.

Around 30 people are still trapped, including passengers inside a bus lying under the debris, Vivek Kumar Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

"There has been a massive landslide on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway," Pandey said, later adding that "operations are under way, we are trying to reach the bus."

Abid Hussain Sadiq, a top government official in the Kinnaur district where the incident happened, said that rescue operations could continue through the night in an attempt to find the survivors.

More than 200 personnel, including from the army, paramilitary forces and local police, are working along a stretch of National Highway 5 that runs along the Sutlej river and connects northern India to the border with China, officials said.

Local police chief Saju Ram Rana said “the landside, which happened around noon, loosened large boulders and sent them cascading down the steep mountainside, blocking about 150 meters of the highway.”

By TON Research Section

Partition of subcontinent is hopscotch of blunders. The border disputes are not only limited to India with its neighboring countries but it moves to the states within India. Recently, the long-standing dispute between the two states of India, Assam and Mizoram took an ugly turn few days back. In the recent clashes at least six of the army personnel were killed and about 60 were injured as a result of Assam and Mizoram policemen firing on each other. Those killed in the clashes were all policemen from Assam.  Tension between both the states escalated on 26^th July, when police on both sides fired at each other. The escalation was sudden but the dispute has its roots in pre-partition. Earlier, in October 2020, at least eight people were been killed in clashes, twice in a week between residents of Assam and Mizoram over territory. Moreover, shops on both sides were also destroyed in those clashes.

The Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mizoram Zoramthanga argued and blamed each other for the violence and asked the central government for intervention. After a meeting between Assam ministers Ashok Singh and Atul Bora with three representatives from Mizoram, both the states issued a joint statement saying that “Both the states shall not send their respective forest and police forces for patrolling, domination, enforcement or for fresh deployment to any of the areas where confrontation and conflict has taken place between police forces of the two states in recent times,” it added that “Both the state governments agree to maintain peace in the inter-state border areas and welcome the deployment of neutral force by the Government of India in this regard.”

The movement of vehicles and goods has been effected by the blockade by locals in Assam's Cachar district. Mizoram claimed that Assam has blocked all the roads entering and exiting from Mizoram, hindering vehicle movement and wrote a letter to Union Home Ministry stating that"The NH-306 is the main highway for transportation of essential commodities and other goods. The blockade has already affected life and livelihood adversely in Mizoram," it added that “Vehicles bound for Mizoram which have been stranded on NH-306 at Lailapur since July 26 want to enter Mizoram without delay. In this regard kindly make all necessary arrangements immediately for enabling their entry into Mizoram without any law and order problem in Assam. The government of Mizoram gives it assurance for the safety and security of all drivers, passengers and their vehicles within Mizoram.” This comes on a day when the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with chief secretaries of both states in New Delhi.

The violence and clashes on the border between two states of India spotlights the long-standing boundary issues in the subcontinent. During the colonial rule, Mizoram was part of Assam and was known as “Lushai Hills” and after that it became a Union territory in 1972. Later on it was upgraded to a full-fledged state in 1987, following an agreement between the government of India and Mizo National Front (MNF), who started independence campaign and secession movement of Mizoram from the Union of India and it lasted for 20 years. According to that agreement “status quo should be maintained at no-man’s land set up in the boundaries.” Now Assam and Mizzoram are separate states of India and share a 165km-long border. Three districts in Assam: Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj shares border with three districts of Mizoram: Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit. The origin of the border disputes is a 1,318 sq km (509 square miles) area of hills and forests that Mizoram claims as its own on the basis of British law of 1875. Assam recognizes that it’s claimed boundary as transgressed and is part of its “constitutional boundary”. This forested region has dispute at several points and both the states keeps on accusing each other of their land encroachment. Both the states contest its demarcation.

Although, these border disputes are not new in India but the role of BJP-led Modi government is not very impressive. Amid this alarming situation in Assam-Mizoram border dispute, PM Modi remained silent and refrained from giving any public statements regarding the situation in the northeast of country. However, it seems like any border solving misstep or taking side of one of the two states can damage and decrease the influence of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) that’s why the Modi-led central government seems to be least interested in solving border disputes and gives the impression to be more interested in political win.

Certainly, these inter-state boundary disputes and clashes tell a lot about India’s inner situation and the blunders in partition. There are about seven other inter-states boundary disputes in the country which are the result of upheavals during the colonial rule and partition of the subcontinent. So far, no serious efforts have been made to solve the inter-states disputes in the country. The discussions and meetings on inter-state boundary disputes have led to temporary cease fire but the real problem goes unaddressed. The approach of putting the national as well as international issues on back has become new normal for Indian government, which is needed to be changed.

ABUJA, 11 August 2021, (TON): Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said “a nationwide cholera outbreak in Nigeria has killed more than 800 people in the last few months.

Many of the victims are children, and the bacterial disease continues to spread - with more than 31,000 cases since January, but most of those being recorded in the last month.

The outbreak has affected at least 22 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the capital, Abuja.

According to the NCDC, the north of the country is being worst affected.

Devastating floods in some areas have also made things worse.

The NCDC says “it has deployed medical teams to help states deal with the spike in cholera cases.”

But it says the government and the public must prioritise hygiene, basic sanitation and access to safe drinking water as part of long-term solutions.

ISLAMABAD, 11 August 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan has "great potential" to attract tourists from Muslim countries because they were wary of visiting Europe and other places due to concerns related to Islamophobia.

He made the comment while addressing local residents and people who were part of the government's tree plantation campaign at Sonmiani beach in Balochistan's Lasbela district.

At the outset of his speech, the prime minister said he had seen the area from above during his arrival by helicopter, adding that it could be developed into a tourist spot.

Prime Minister Imran said “the government's efforts should be geared towards improving the lives of the people, to ensure livelihoods for them, education for their children, and health facilities.

It is the foremost responsibility of the government to see how we can make the people's lives better and to first fulfil their basic needs and then [check] how to make them happy.

Talking about Lasbela, the premier said that an industrial estate could not be established in the area but a "splendid tourist resort" could be built instead. He clarified, however, that it would not be the kind of tourist resort where people come and then [go against] our culture and tradition and religion.

ADDIS ABABA, 11 August 2021, (TON): Ethiopia called on "all able-bodied Ethiopians of age" to join the armed forces as the nine-month conflict in Tigray has spread in recent weeks to two neighbouring regions in the north of the country.

A statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office, said "it is now time for all able-bodied Ethiopians to join the defence forces, special forces and militias and show their patriotism."

The conflict in Tigray has seen a dramatic turnaround since late June.

The fighting began last November after the Tigray region forces attacked and killed federal soldiers.

In late June, Abiy Ahmed declared a cease-fire which was rejected by the rebels. They continued their offensive into the neighbouring regions of Amhara in the south and Afar in the east.

Fighting there has displaced an estimated 300,000 people.

COLOMBO, 11 August 2021, (TON): The Cabinet has decided that the best way to resolve issues faced by teachers is to address salary anomalies of the entire government sector in the next budget.

Education Minister Prof. Peiris said that the teachers had attempted to have their salary issues solved for 24 years, but none of the B governments had addressed it constructively. However, this is the first time that teachers have threatened and stopped teaching.

The government is sensitive to the plight of the teachers and we have admitted that this issue must be solved. Representatives of unions met me several times to resolve the issue and they also met the Prime Minister. We must discuss this with the National Salaries Commission and the Cabinet has discussed this twice.

The Minister of Education said that the budget for 2022 would be presented in November. Prof. Peiris urged the unions not to endanger the lives of people by holding demonstrations during the pandemic.

Prof. Peiris said that the academic and non- academic staff in schools would be fully vaccinated by the end of August and that schools reopened depending on the pandemic situation.

RIYADH, 11 August 2021, (TON): Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi met with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in the capital, Riyadh, to discuss the latest developments in Yemen.

Prince Khalid conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Hadi, and their wishes for further progress and stability for the Yemeni people.

Prince Khalid said in a tweet following the meeting “we discussed the latest developments in Yemen, the Kingdom’s firm position in supporting the Yemeni people and their legitimate government, and efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to end the crisis and achieve security and stability in Yemen.”