PAKISTAN READER

The Indian Neighbourhood Today #196, 13 August 2026
Aishal Yousuf, Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani, Sreemaya Nair, and Urja R Kudalkar

Bangladesh: High Court petition challenges presidential election schedule
On 13 August, Dhaka Tribune reported that a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking suspension of the presidential election schedule and challenging the validity of Article 70 of the Constitution. Lawyer Md Yunus Ali Akand, who filed the petition, said the case may be heard by a High Court bench headed by Justice Khizir Ahmed next week. He stated that Article 70 restricts MPs from voting freely and affects their democratic rights. According to the Election Commission schedule, 13 August is the deadline for submitting nomination papers. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on 16 August, while candidates can withdraw by 18 August. The presidential election is scheduled for 20 August, with voting from 1400 hrs to 1700 hrs at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban session room. The report said this will be the first presidential election since 1991 in which multiple candidates are possible. The BNP and Jamaat-led 11-party alliance have nominated candidates.
("Writ seeks suspension of presidential election schedule, Dhaka Tribune, 13 August 2026)

Myanmar: Military regime blocks flood aid to over 200 Sagaing villages, favours junta-aligned militia
On 13 August, The Irrawaddy reported that the military regime is blocking flood aid to resistance-controlled areas in the Sagaing Region, cutting off roads to prevent assistance reaching more than 200 inundated villages along the Mu River. Residents said thousands remain stranded as water released from the Thaphanseik Dam continues swamping ten townships, including Shwebo and Ye-U. Regime forces have reportedly airlifted food and medicine to villages controlled by the junta-aligned Pyu Saw Htee militia instead. A volunteer in Shwebo District said trucks delivering aid on 07 August were turned back. Residents said authorities threatened arrest and property seizure against anyone aiding resistance-held areas. At least 15 deaths have been recorded so far. The shadow National Unity Government said on 09 August that over 220,000 people across Sagaing have been affected, with vast farmland submerged; flooding in Ayeyarwady has displaced another 40,000.
("Myanmar Regime Blocks Aid to Sagaing Flood Victims," The Irrawaddy, 13 August 2026)

Myanmar: UN investigators say "Military has escalated aerial attacks on civilians"
On 13 August, The Irrawaddy reported that the Myanmar military escalated its aerial attacks against civilians, with the conflict showing no signs of abating, according to the United Nations' Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). The IIMM's annual report, covering July 2025 to June 2026, documented deliberate aerial attacks on civilians, arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence by the military, alongside intensifying strikes ahead of January's restricted elections. It said increasing reliance on paramotors and drones had made attacks harder for civilians to detect, while conflict with the Arakan Army in Rakhine State had "intensified significantly." IIMM chief Nicholas Koumjian said communities were coping with the lasting impact of these crimes, adding that funding cuts were straining the investigation's resources even as crimes intensified. The IIMM has collected over 28 million items of evidence since 2018 and said the military had "never cooperated" with its investigators.
("Myanmar Escalating Aerial Attacks on Civilians: UN Probe," The Irrawaddy, 13 August 2026).

Sri Lanka: President stands firm on constitutional reforms despite pushback from the judiciary
On 13 August, Daily Mirror reported that during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reaffirmed his readiness to risk his presidency to deliver fundamental political and constitutional reforms. The talks centred on the proposed 22nd Amendment and specifically its clause to extend the retirement age for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges. The session concluded without an agreement, as BASL representatives, including its President Rajeev Amarasuriya, argued the amendment threatens judicial independence and urged a halt for broader legal consultations. Denying any personal agenda or overreach of executive authority, President Dissanayake cited the sensitive Easter Sunday attack probe as proof of his commitment to pursuing accountability regardless of political risks. To justify his stance as a selfless reformer for his nation, his rhetoric included the statement “I am a person who is ready to leave. I did not come here intending to remain seated.”
(“Ready to risk office for change, says President,” Daily Mirror, 13 August 2026)

Maldives: Dhaka urges Malé to expand employment opportunities for migrant workers
On 13 August, The Sun Online reported that Bangladesh appealed to the Maldives to create additional employment opportunities for Bangladeshi migrant workers, during talks between Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and Maldives Ambassador Shiuneen Rasheed in Dhaka. Kabir highlighted the potential to expand employment sectors for Bangladeshi workers within the Maldives tourism-driven economy, where around 100,000 Bangladeshi nationals are currently employed. The Maldives Employment Act caps the number of expatriate workers permitted from any single country, prompting Maldivian authorities to introduce stricter visa measures for Bangladeshi general labourers, though Dhaka continues pursuing diplomatic avenues to expand the quota. The talks also covered strengthening cooperation in tourism, human resource development and investment, with Bangladeshi nationals forming the largest share of the Maldives' foreign workforce. Both sides reiterated their commitment to bilateral ties, while Maldivian authorities continue implementing measures to address undocumented migration. 
("Bangladesh urges Maldives to expand employment opportunities for migrant workers," Sun Online, 13 August 2026)
Afghanistan: Afghan-based terror threat drives Central Asian military drills, says CIS Institute 
On 12 August, Afghanistan International reported that Andrei Grozin, Head of the Central Asia Department at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Institute, said the risk of militant groups infiltrating from Afghanistan remained the primary driver of annual military exercises across the region. His remarks were published in the Russian newspaper Izvestia. Grozin recalled the "Batken events" of 1999 and 2000, when militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan attempted to enter Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan, inflicting heavy losses on local forces and compelling Bishkek to seek military assistance from Moscow, Tashkent, and Astana. He said that experience had led regional governments to continue taking the threat seriously. His comments came as a joint Russia-Kyrgyzstan military exercise began on 11 August in mountainous terrain, running until 17 August, focusing on border closures, assaults, and drone operations against simulated armed groups.
("Afghanistan-Based Terror Threat Drives Central Asian Military Drills, Says CIS Institute," Afghanistan International, 12 August 2026)

Pakistan: Belarus agrees to expand agricultural and industrial cooperation

On 13 August, The Express Tribune reported that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met Belarusian Energy Minister Denis Moroz to discuss expanding bilateral trade and investment, with discussions covering industrial cooperation, agriculture, education, and culture. Separately, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain met Belarus's Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yakovchits Aleksander, and both sides agreed to facilitate the export of seeds, promote fish farming cooperation, and establish a universal agricultural machinery testing facility at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) with Belarusian financial and technical support.
("Pakistan, Belarus to deepen cooperation," The Express Tribune, 13 August 2026)