NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
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The Indian Neighbourhood Today #195, 12 August 2026
By Aishal Yousuf, Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani, Sreemaya Nair, and Urja R Kudalkar
Bangladesh: Bomb explodes at Barisal court premises
On 12 August, Dhaka Tribune reported that a bomb exploded at the Barisal Chief Judicial Magistrate Court premises this morning, causing panic among judges, lawyers and court officials. The explosion took place at around 1030 hrs near the main entrance of the 10-storey court building. Kamrul Islam, administrative officer of the court, said senior police officials visited the scene and that court authorities were providing CCTV footage to help police identify those responsible. Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Al Mamun Islam said a bomb disposal unit was working at the site. Samples from the exploded device have been collected for examination. Additional police personnel were deployed around the court premises following the incident.
("Bomb explodes on court premises in Barisal," Dhaka Tribune, 12 August 2026)
Myanmar: Thailand extends work permits for migrant workers to five years
On 11 August, The Irrawaddy reported that Myanmar and Thailand had signed a new MoU on labour during putschist president Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Bangkok on 06 and 07 August, extending Myanmar migrant workers' employment permits from four to five years, aligning them with passport validity. The new framework allows two-year contracts renewable for another two years, and aims to register workers promptly, integrate them into Thailand's social security system and clarify rules on dispute resolution and repatriation. Thailand's Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat pledged to expand electronic work permits and online registration, and said additional agreements on transfer of social security and pension rights were being pursued. Thailand hosts around four million Myanmar migrant workers, of whom only 1.5 million are covered under the MoU system. Human rights groups said Thai authorities had cooperated with the junta in deporting undocumented migrants, many of whom were subsequently forced into military service under Myanmar's conscription law, which has barred men aged 18-35 from overseas employment since February 2024.
("Thailand Extends Myanmar Migrant Work Permits to Five Years," The Irrawaddy, 11 August 2026)
Myanmar: Nippon Foundation head meets Min Aung Hlaing for peace talks
On 11 August, The Irrawaddy reported that Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of Japan's Nippon Foundation and Japan's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, had met putschist president Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw to discuss assistance for Myanmar's peace process and flood rehabilitation in Ayeyarwady Region. Regime media referred to Sasakawa only as the Nippon Foundation's honorary chairman, omitting his role as special envoy. Sasakawa has been involved in Myanmar peace efforts for over a decade, having witnessed the 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and mediated truces between the military and the Arakan Army, though those efforts have not been held. Analysts said Japan may be seeking to maintain informal diplomatic channels without formally recognising the junta. Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi had reiterated in late July that relations could only improve if the regime halted violence, released detainees including Aung San Suu Kyi and pursued genuine political dialogue. Japan has suspended official development assistance to Myanmar since the 2021 coup.
("Nippon Foundation Head Meets Min Aung Hlaing for Myanmar 'Peace' Talks," The Irrawaddy, 11 August 2026)
Myanmar: Canadian firm to begin offshore gas drilling off of Tanintharyi
On 11 August, The Irrawaddy reported that Canadian Foresight Group planned to begin offshore drilling at Block M15 in Myanmar's Tanintharyi deep-sea zone by the end of 2026, operating alongside Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, a Western-sanctioned state enterprise controlled by the military regime. The move followed the regime's June announcement of four new offshore gas fields with a combined estimated 109 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the largest of which is believed to lie within Block M15. BBC Burmese estimated the project could generate revenue equivalent to 40 per cent of Myanmar's total foreign currency earnings. MOGE has been heavily sanctioned internationally since the 2021 coup for serving as the regime's largest source of foreign currency, though Canada has not yet directly sanctioned it despite participating in other coordinated measures against the junta. Advocacy group Justice for Myanmar had called on Canada to impose sanctions on MOGE as far back as 2023
("Canadian Firm to Start Drilling for Gas Off War-Torn Myanmar's Coast," The Irrawaddy, 11 August 2026)
Maldives: Opposition demands action on soaring US dollar exchange rates
On 12 August, The Sun reported that the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, head of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), urged the government to reduce the parallel market USD exchange rate to MVR 19 within 10 days and to MVR 17 within a month. Speaking ahead of an MDP protest against rising commodity prices, Nasheed placed the blame on government inaction for the surge. The sharp rise, driven by severe foreign currency shortages for imports and external debt payments, has severely inflated living costs. In response to this, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed attributed the rate spike primarily to market speculation and media-driven panic.
(“Nasheed demands that govt drive down USD rate to MVR 19 in 10 days,” The Sun, 12 August 2026)
Afghanistan: Iran's Agriculture Minister visits Kabul in push for closer agricultural ties with Taliban
On 12 August, Afghanistan International reported that Iran's Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh arrived in Kabul, leading a delegation for talks with Taliban officials and a visit to an agriculture and livestock exhibition. Iran's embassy in Kabul said the visit aimed to meet Taliban officials and tour the exhibition. Nouri Ghezeljeh had previously met the Taliban's deputy agriculture minister in Tehran in May 2025, where he said Iran was ready to provide agricultural technical and engineering services and transfer modern technologies to Afghanistan, citing Iranian infrastructure and training centres available to train Afghan specialists. He also proposed establishing a joint committee in Kabul to coordinate cooperation, and stressed Tehran's interest in development projects, improving cropping patterns, and long-term agreements to improve Afghan farmers' livelihoods.
("Iranian Minister Visits Kabul As Tehran Seeks Closer Agricultural Ties," Afghanistan International, 12 August 2026)
Afghanistan: Juma Khan Fateh calls for resistance as Taliban clashes intensify
On 12 August, Afghanistan International reported that dissident Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh called on his forces and residents to fight as intense clashes continued with Taliban forces in Nusay district of Badakhshan. Fateh issued the call in an audio message obtained by Afghanistan International, while local sources said fighting began on Tuesday evening after Taliban forces attacked fighters under his command. Heavy clashes were continuing in Khughaz and other areas where Fateh’s forces were present. The confrontation follows months of disputes between Fateh and the Taliban administration over mining activities in Badakhshan. Fateh had previously served as the Taliban’s deputy governor of Zabul but was removed after refusing to take up the post. Sources reported casualties on both sides, while Taliban helicopters were sent to evacuate their dead and wounded
(“Juma Khan Fateh Calls On His Forces & Locals To Fight The Taliban,” Afghanistan International, 12 August 2026)
Pakistan: Interior Minister visits Tehran to revive Pakistan's mediation push
On 12 August, Dawn reported that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travelled to Tehran to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a fresh effort to revive Pakistan's stalled mediation role between the United States and Iran following the breakdown of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The visit aimed to keep Pakistan's diplomatic channel active rather than wait for Iranian leaders to travel to Islamabad, as Iran-Oman talks on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz reached an advanced stage. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif separately told Bloomberg that the US and Iran were close to "some sort of an arrangement", describing recent signals as positive. Iran has maintained that the Islamabad MoU remains the only legitimate framework for resolving the wider dispute and insists on full implementation before agreeing to reopen Hormuz.