South Asia weekly round-up: December 20
Anadolu Agency's briefing on events from South Asia in the last week, including a school massacre in Pakistan and India's test-launch of a rocket capable of manned space missions
By Kaamil Ahmed (from DHAKA, Bangladesh)
PESHAWAR, Pakistan
Pakistan was thrust into mourning when Taliban gunmen killed more than 100 people, mostly children, in an attack on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Tuesday.
A Tehreek-e-Taliban militant claimed that the nine-hour long siege was revenge for the Pakistani army's six-month long anti-militant operation in the nearby North Waziristan tribal area, which has killed almost 2,000 suspected militants, according to the army.
Among the dead were the head teacher, who was initially rescued but returned to save her students, and a female teacher who was burnt alive for standing in front of the gunmen.
The tragedy created pressure on the government to remove its moratorium on the death penalty in death cases, leading to the hanging of two Taliban commanders on Friday.
Both local and international rights groups criticized the decision to renew the use of the death penalty, with Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine saying: “The government’s death penalty spree is a craven politicized reaction to the Peshawar killings that will do nothing to bring the attackers to justice.”
KABUL – Afghan, Pakistani and NATO military and security officials agreed to launch a joint operation against the Taliban, in a meeting held in Kabul a day after the Peshawar school attack.
Afghan forces launched an operation against the Taliban in the eastern Kunar province on Thursday, to support a local pro-government militia who had been fighting them for four days.
The fighting was in an area along the border with Pakistan, where the Pakistani Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah, who is thought to have masterminded the Peshawar school attack, is allegedly hiding.
NEW DELHI – India test-launched a rocket that could potentially be used for a manned space mission in the future on Thursday.
The rocket carried a 4,000-kilogram payload, including a capsule capable of hosting a human crew.
In September, India became the first country to land a probe on Mars on its first attempt.
DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladeshis celebrated their 44th Victory Day on Dec. 16, which marks the day the country's war for independence from Pakistan ended in 1971.
The celebrations came at a time when the political atmosphere is tense after a war crimes tribunal investigating the 1971 handed death sentences to a series of leaders from the Jamaat-e-Islami party in October and November.
KATHMANDU, Nepal – A magnitude 5 earthquake only 132 kilometers from Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu, on Thursday has raised the issue of how prepared the capital is for a major earthquake.
There has been no major earthquake since 1934 but another would be estimated to take as many 100,000 lives because of the capital's rapid and, in some places, unplanned development.
