ROUNDUP 2024

South Asia: A year of political upheavals and turbulence

Monday, 30 Dec, 2024
Pakistan's political landscape was marked by intense protests throughout the year with supporters calling for imprisoned former PM Imran Khan's release. (Photo courtesy: PTI/Facebook)

As 2024 draws to a close, South Asia stands at a critical juncture, grappling with a divided political landscape, economic challenges, and escalating security risks. Home to around a quarter of the world’s population, the region consists of countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. As the world transitions to 2025, here is a recap of key events that shaped the subcontinent's political landscape...

PAKISTAN | Tackling massive protests and TTP terror

In the Islamic nation, the year began with general elections in February, hailed as the largest in the country's history. On March 3, PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif was re-elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister for a second term, despite former PM Imran Khan's PTI winning the most seats.

Imran Khan and his PTI received a political setback in the very first month of the year when a trial court convicted the former prime minister in the cipher case on January 30. Both were sentenced to 10 years in prison — just days before polls.
A separate trial court found Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, guilty in the Toshakhana case and sentenced them to 14 years in prison.

The political landscape was marked by intense protests throughout the year with PTI, along with opposition parties like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and others, organizing mass demonstrations, challenging the election results and demanding the repeal of constitutional amendments, restoration of democracy, and the release of "innocent political prisoners". Tensions flared between protesters and law enforcement, culminating in clashes, incidents of violence, arrests, and property damage.

In a first, Faiz Hameed, former head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was formally charged in December under the Pakistan Army Act for land grabbing, seizing valuables from a private housing society, and interfering in political matters.

Tensions flared with Afghanistan in December, with a series of alleged cross-border attacks and retaliatory military strikes. Pakistan has been grappling with rising security concerns as militant groups launch attacks from Afghan territory, particularly targeting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

As for the economy, inflation came down to single digits, policy rates reduced from 22.5 to 15 per cent, foreign exchange reserves improved, and the stock market made record gains. (Express Tribune inputs)

BANGLADESH | The fall of Hasina government


Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the reins of Bangladesh after PM Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August. (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

Bangladesh faced an upheaval this year with the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a development that also cast a shadow over its traditionally strong ties with India. Weeks of protests, led by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs, led to the end of Hasina's 16-year regime in August.

Muhammad Yunus, an 84-year-old Nobel laureate, was favored by the student protestors to lead the interim government. Ever since his coming to power on August 8, there has been a spate of attacks on minorities, including Hindus. The arrest of a Hindu monk on sedition charges added to India’s concerns, which Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed to Dhaka when he travelled there earlier this month.

Hasina has accused the Yunus-led administration of perpetrating "genocide" and failing to protect minorities, especially Hindus. The interim government has responded with a note verbale, or diplomatic communication, to New Delhi seeking her extradition. The interim government has claimed that around 3,500 citizens suffered from enforced disappearances throughout Hasina's tenure. More than 200 cases, including that of murder, have been filed against Hasina since her ouster.

The Asian Development Bank in December slashed its growth forecast for the country, while the World Bank said half of all non-poor rural households were at risk of falling back into poverty. In 2025, the interim government faces the task of restoring political and economic stability ahead of the general elections, likely to take place at the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026.

SRI LANKA | A change of guard


NPP's Anura Kumar Dissanayake took over as Sri Lankan president. (Photo courtesy: Anura Kumara Dissanayake/Facebook)

In September 2024, Sri Lanka went to polls and saw the Left-wing leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerge victorious in the presidential election. After winning, he called for snap elections soon after, where his party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led National People’s Power (JVP-NPP) coalition swept the parliamentary elections by winning 159 out of the 225 seats.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the third review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout in November but warned that the economy remains vulnerable.

NEPAL & MALDIVES | Courting China


India-Maldives relations were back on track after President Mohamed Muizzu met PM Narendra Modi in October. (Photo courtesy: X@narendramodi)

In Nepal. the multiparty system, marked by unstable alliances and corruption, saw former Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) ousted in 2024, replaced by Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist (CPN–UML) leader K P Sharma Oli in a coalition government with Nepali Congress. Breaking tradition, Oli prioritized China over India for his first state visit and signed a framework agreement to implement Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.

As the year began, Nepal stopped issuing permits to its citizens to work in Russia and Ukraine after 10 Nepalis were killed while serving in the Russian Army. Rain-induced floods and landslides wreaked havoc across Nepal leaving around 200 people dead and many missing in September.

On April 21, Maldivian voters handed a parliamentary supermajority to President Mohamed Muizzu’s party, signaling a shift towards China and away from traditional ally India. Muizzu’s subsequent visit to China marked a departure from his predecessors’ tradition of prioritising India for state visits. However, relations improved by March, with Muizzu affirming India’s role as the Maldives’ closest ally and requesting debt relief. Positive developments followed, including his attendance at Modi’s swearing-in, continued development aid of Rs 400 crore in India's budget, and high-level visits by both sides.

AFGHANISTAN | In dire need of humanitarian aid

The Taliban regime remains firmly in power despite massive economic challenges, with more than 90 per cent of Afghans struggling with poverty and increasing food insecurity. In 2024, 23.7 million people required humanitarian assistance. Reports show that Afghanistan has the fourth largest number of people facing severe hunger and food shortages and about 80 per cent of families live on less than $1 per day per person, according to Al Jazeera.

In October 2023, several magnitude 6.3 earthquakes struck Herat province, killing at least 2,000 people and injuring thousands more. Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov became the highest ranking foreign official to visit Afghanistan since the return of the Taliban in 2021. While China and Russia, are intensifying their engagement with the Taliban regime, Pakistan remains frustrated with the Taliban’s meager actions against the terrorist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In August, the Taliban issued new laws on vice and virtue severely curtailing women's rights. Towards the end of 2024, Taliban said they will close all national and foreign non-governmental groups in Afghanistan employing women.