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Pakistan’s parliament approved a sweeping constitutional amendment on Thursday granting lifetime immunity to the president as well as the current army chief, a move critics warned would erode democratic checks and judicial independence.The 27th amendment, passed by a two-thirds majority, also consolidates military power under a new Chief of Defence Forces role and establishes a Federal Constitutional Court.The changes grant army chief Asim Munir, promoted to field marshal after Pakistan’s clash with India in May, command over the army, air force and the navy.He and other top military brass will enjoy lifelong protections.Under the amendment, any officer promoted to field marshal, marshal of the air force, or admiral of the fleet will now retain rank and privileges for life, remain in uniform, and enjoy immunity from criminal proceedings.Such protections were previously only reserved for the head of state.”This constitutional amendment will increase authoritarianism and whatever little semblance of democracy existed in this country will fade away,” said Osama Malik, an Islamabad-based lawyer.”It will not only remove civilian oversight from the military’s activities, it will also completely destroy the military hierarchy where all service chiefs were considered equal under the joint chief system,” he told AFP.Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of more than 250 million people, has long struggled to balance civilian authority with the military’s role in politics.The amendment also shields President Asif Ali Zardari from any criminal prosecution, although that immunity will not apply if he or any other former president later holds another public office.Zardari has faced multiple graft cases, although proceedings were previously stayed.He signed the bill into law following the parliamentary vote.- ‘Deeply undemocratic’ -Opposition parties, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), tore up copies of the bill in both chambers over the past few days.The amendment also bars courts from questioning any constitutional change “on any ground whatsoever”.The bill also creates a Federal Constitutional Court with exclusive jurisdiction over constitutional cases, stripping the Supreme Court of its original powers and transferring pending petitions.Another clause empowers the president to transfer High Court judges on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission, a change critics say could be used to sideline dissenting judges.”This is the final nail in the coffin of an independent judiciary and a functioning democracy,” PTI spokesman Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari told AFP.PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja described the amendment as “deeply undemocratic at its core”.”They have given lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution to the president and created a system that concentrates power in one military office,” he told AFP. The Senate initially passed the bill on Monday. It was then tweaked and passed by the National Assembly, the lower house, two days later before returning to the upper house for final approval.”Sixty-four members are in favour of the passage of the bill and four members are against, so the motion is carried,” Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday.It also cleared the 336-member lower house with the required two-thirds majority.

India’s top-ranked men’s tennis player Sumit Nagal said China denied him a visa weeks before he was set to appear at an Australian Open qualifying tournament in southwestern Sichuan.”I am supposed to fly to China soon to represent India at the Australian Open Playoff. But my visa was rejected without reason,” Nagal said on Tuesday in a post to social media platform X.Nagal, 28, is ranked world number 275. He represented India at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and reached a career-high 68th in 2024.He lost in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year and the second round in 2024 in his two previous main draw appearances at Melbourne Park.The week-long Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off begins on November 24. Winners will earn entry into the opening Grand Slam of 2026 in Melbourne.The tournament said “players should contact the Chinese consulate for information regarding… visa requirements” and could request a letter of invitation.The tournament did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.When asked about Nagal’s apparent visa denial, China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday it “hoped the relevant individual will submit application materials according to requirements of the Chinese embassy in India.”China will, in accordance with rules and regulations, review and issue visas for all athletes including Indian (athletes) coming to compete in China,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.AFP has asked Nagal’s agent for comment.India and China, which share a contested Himalayan border, resumed direct flights last month after a five-year suspension due to the pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions.The neighbours and world’s two most populous nations remain strategic rivals competing for regional influence, but ties have eased gradually since a deadly border clash in 2020.

India captain Shubman Gill said on Thursday fast bowlers could play a key role in the opening Test against South Africa, although spinners usually have the final say in home conditions.The pitch at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is expected to behave like a typical Indian surface — offering good batting conditions over the first couple of days when the Test begins on Friday before assisting spin from day three.However, the early morning moisture in eastern India could bring the quicks into play.With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the lineup, India will be counting on their ability to exploit reverse swing.”I think generally fast bowlers get a little help in the morning and evening,” Gill told reporters on the eve of the two-match series.”Whenever we play in India, more or less the spinners decide the game.”The better the quality of the spin attack you have, the better chances you have of winning the match,” he said.India’s spin options for the opener include Ravindra Jadeja (left-arm orthodox), Washington Sundar (off-spin), Axar Patel (left-arm orthodox) and Kuldeep Yadav (left-arm wrist spin).It could be a toss-up between fielding a third seamer or an extra spinner in the India XI.”Even the England series that we played in 2024, the crucial wickets in between were taken by the fast bowlers — even though the wickets were spin-friendly,” said Gill.”So if you can get the ball reversing, the fast bowlers are always in the game.”India boast of a strong Test record at home and registered a 2-0 whitewash against the West Indies last month.It was Gill’s first home assignment as Test captain after he led the team to a 2-2 draw in a five-Test series in England as new skipper.Gill, 26, is one of the few players in the current Indian set-up to play all three formats, and is fresh from a 2-1 T20 triumph in Australia.”The challenge is definitely more mental than it is physical,” Gill said.”Bodily, I feel fine. Mentally, it can be challenging at times because the requirements for different formats in different places of the world is different… it’s a good challenge and a good learning curve for me.”Gill said a series win over reigning World Test champions South Africa would boost India’s ambition to make the final of the current cycle of the WTC.”These two Tests are going to be very important to qualify for the WTC final,” Gill said.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board said Thursday that its players will remain in Pakistan to complete a one-day international series and a subsequent T20 tri-series, with all games to be played in Rawalpindi.At least eight players had asked to leave over security fears after Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and wounded 27.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the decision to stay for next week’s tri-series, which also includes Zimbabwe, was taken after “close consultations” with hosts Pakistan who had given security assurances.Sri Lanka Cricket had threatened disciplinary action against any players who tried to leave Pakistan.”We lined up substitute players to be sent to continue with the tournament, but now that the squad has agreed to stay, we won’t be sending anyone,” an SLC official told AFP.All tri-series fixtures will now be played in Rawalpindi, which neighbours Islamabad, but has heavy security. Originally four of the six round-robin matches and the final had been scheduled to take place in Lahore.The ODI series was already being played in Rawalpindi, with the second match put back by a day to Friday and the third, originally due on Saturday, moved to Sunday.The T20 tri-series was scheduled to start on Monday but will also begin a day later with the final now also a day later on November 29.”Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour,” said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi on social media. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright.”Six Sri Lankan players were wounded in March 2009 when gunmen opened fire on their team bus as it was taking them to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for a Test match.The incident led to international teams staying away from Pakistan for nearly a decade.Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six runs in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, a game that went ahead despite the suicide attack in nearby Islamabad.The PCB said security around the visiting team had been tightened following the attack.Naqvi met Sri Lankan players at their Islamabad hotel on Wednesday and assured them of their safety, Sri Lankan officials said, adding that the number of guards for the squad has been doubled.

In a recording studio in Dhaka, voiceover artist Rubaiya Matin Gity dubs the latest Turkish soap opera to become a megahit in Bangladesh — a pop-culture trend that reflects growing ties between the two countries.”Yasmeen! Yasmeen! I have fallen in love…” the 32-year-old actor cried in Bangla, her eyes fixed on the screen playing new episodes of Turkish drama “Kara Sevda”, or “Endless Love”, which has captivated millions of viewers in the South Asian nation.The success of Turkish shows, challenging the once-unrivalled popularity of Indian television dramas, is the sign of a change that extends far beyond Bangladeshi screens.It mirrors shifting alliances and expanding diplomatic, trade and defence relations between the two Muslim-majority nations, 5,000 kilometres (3,000 miles) apart.More Turkish restaurants are opening in Bangladesh and there is a general interest in learning the language, coupled with rekindled warmth between the two governments, set against increasingly fractious relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.An interim government has led Bangladesh since an uprising last year toppled the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina — who fled to old ally India, where she has resisted extradition, turning relations between the two neighbours icy.- ‘New opportunities’ -Ties between Ankara and Dhaka have not always been smooth, but they “are growing stronger now,” said Md Anwarul Azim, professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka.”The relationship faltered twice,” he said, first in 1971 when Bangladesh separated from Pakistan, and then in 2013, when Dhaka hanged men accused of war crimes during the independence struggle.Bilateral trade remains modest, but Azim noted that Turkey offers Bangladesh an alternative to its reliance on China as its main weapons supplier.Ankara’s defence industry boss Haluk Gorgun visited Dhaka in July, and Bangladesh’s army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman is expected in Turkey later this month to discuss production of military equipment.Bangladesh has also shown interest in Turkish drones, technology Ankara has reportedly supplied to Pakistan, India’s arch-enemy.Dhaka’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, said he was “focused on further deepening” ties with Ankara, after meeting a Turkish parliamentary delegation this month.”Bangladesh stands ready to work hand in hand with Turkiye to unlock new opportunities for our people,” Yunus said.- Classes, clothes and horses -Alongside formal ties, cultural links are also deepening.Ezaz Uddin Ahmed, 47, head of programming at the channel that pioneered Turkish dramas in Bangladesh, said that Deepto TV has “a dedicated team of translators, scriptwriters, voice artists and editors” working to meet the growing demand.Its breakout hit came in 2017 with a historical epic that eclipsed Indian serials and “surpassed all others” in terms of popularity, Ahmed said.Riding on that success, Deepto TV and other Bangladeshi broadcasters snapped up more Turkish imports — from Ottoman sagas to contemporary family dramas.Interest in the Turkish language has followed suit, with several leading institutions now offering courses.”I have 20 students in a single batch,” said Sheikh Abdul Kader, a trainer and economics lecturer at Jagannath University. “There is growing demand.”For some, the love for all things Turkish doesn’t end there.Business owner Tahiya Islam, 33, has launched a Turkish-themed clothing line, and inspired by Ottoman traditions, even took up horseback riding.”During the Ottoman era, couples used to go out on horseback,” she said. “Now, my husband rides too — and I even have my own horse.”

India’s government on Wednesday vowed to bring the “perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors” of a deadly car blast in the heart of the capital to justice and called it an act of terrorism.The powerful blast on Monday killed at least 12 people and wounded 30 others, according to hospital officials.It was the most significant security incident since April 22, when 26 mainly Hindu civilians were killed at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggering clashes with Pakistan.”The country has witnessed a heinous terror incident, perpetrated by anti-national forces, through a car explosion near the Red Fort”, a cabinet statement read, after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.It was the first confirmation that India is treating the blast as an act of terrorism. The historic Red Fort in the crowded Old Delhi quarter of the city is one of India’s most well-known landmarks, and the site of the annual prime minister’s Independence Day speech.The cabinet expressed “profound grief” over the loss of lives.It did not give further details of who might have been behind the attack, but said India would maintain a policy of “zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms”.It condemned what it called a “dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives”.- Car exploded in traffic -Ritu Saxena, the chief medical officer of Delhi’s LNJP hospital, told AFP earlier on Wednesday that “12 people have died and more than 30 are injured”. Witnesses described to AFP how the car exploded in traffic and how people caught up in the surge of flames were set on fire.The explosion came hours after Indian police said they had arrested a gang and seized explosive materials and assault rifles.Police said the men were linked with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Islamist group, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a Kashmir offshoot of the jihadist group Al-Qaeda.Both groups are listed as terrorist organisations in India.The government ordered an investigation with the “utmost urgency” so that “the perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay.”India’s National Investigation Agency is leading the probe into the explosion.The government added India’s “steadfast resolve to safeguard the lives” of all its citizens, consistent with “its enduring commitment to national security”.It also thanked foreign governments for messages of solidarity.In the attack in April in Pahalgam, Indian authorities were swift to accuse Pakistan of backing the gunmen — claims denied by Islamabad.That attack sparked clashes between the nuclear-armed arch rivals in May, when more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire was struck.On Tuesday, after a suicide bomber in Islamabad killed at least 12 people, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed “terrorist proxies backed by India”.India rejected the “baseless and unfounded” allegations made by an “obviously delirious Pakistani leadership”.The Islamabad attack was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he spoke about the Delhi blast on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting in Canada with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.Asked if the attack could re-inflame tensions with Pakistan, Rubio told reporters: “We’re aware of the potential that holds. But I think the Indians need to be commended. They’ve been very measured and cautious and very professional in how they’re carrying out this investigation.”“It clearly was a terrorist attack, and was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed a lot of people.”

Shubman Gill’s India will look to extend their Test domination at home when a two-match series begins against world champions South Africa on Friday in Kolkata.India’s recent 2-0 sweep of West Indies took them past South Africa to be the third-most successful team at home in Test cricket.They have 122 wins in the five-day format in India, behind only Australia, who have 262 home wins and England who have 241.India’s excellent home run suffered a setback last year when New Zealand achieved a rare 3-0 Test sweep on Indian soil.The hosts bounced back in style against the West Indies last month with a 2-0 victory in Gill’s first home assignment as Test captain.That followed a 2-2 draw in the five-Test series in England, Gill’s first in charge.South Africa beat Australia to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s in June and recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan. They will be no pushovers under captain Temba Bavuma despite many of their players making their debuts in India.South African head coach Shukri Conrad said having quality spinners, including Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer, gave the team a boost.”Yes, I think it gives us a lot of confidence,” Conrad told reporters at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.”Not saying that we didn’t have good spinners in the past, but we certainly think we’ve got a better pack of spinners now in Keshav, Simon and Sen.”We are quietly confident that we can make history of our own here at Eden Gardens and in India,” he said.- Pant returns -Gill, 26, has led from the front after the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin.He scored 754 runs against England and an unbeaten 129 to set up victory in the second Test against the West Indies. Gill has hinted he would like pitches prepared that provide a balance between bat and ball, rather than the sharply spinning surfaces that have been prevalent in the past.The pitch at Kolkata’s famous stadium is expected to aid reverse swing but become slower as the match progresses.India have been boosted by the return of livewire wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who recently led India A against South Africa A in two four-day matches.Pant, a flamboyant left-handed batsman and chattering presence behind the stumps, missed the West Indies series while he recovered from a foot fracture.India’s back-up wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel hit twin centuries in the second match against South Africa A and is almost certain to play as a batter.”I don’t think you can leave him (Jurel) out for this Test is the short answer,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. “But obviously, you can only pick 11 as well. So someone else will have to miss out. I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of the combination.”The visitors will feature several players, including Bavuma, who warmed up for the series by playing for South Africa A last week when they beat India A by five wickets.Bavuma, who has captained South Africa in 10 Tests — winning nine and drawing one — missed the tour of Pakistan, where Aiden Markram stood in as captain.Eight of South Africa’s squad have never played a Test in India.Bavuma, opening batsman Markram and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada have the most experience of Indian conditions. Batsman Zubayr Hamza and left-arm spinner Muthusamy were on the 2019 tour and Harmer played in 2015.South Africa have a poor recent record in India, having lost their previous two series 3-0. Their last series win came under Hansie Cronje in 2000.The second Test is in Guwahati from November 22 and will be followed by three one-day internationals and five Twenty20 matches.

Residents in the Pakistani capital Islamabad were facing tightened security checks on Wednesday in the wake of a suicide bombing that left top officials vowing to halt the rise in deadly attacks.The deadly blast outside district court buildings on Tuesday was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, a militant group that has been behind a series of attacks in other parts of the country.The district court remained closed on Wednesday while security was stepped up at other court buildings across the city, and long queues of vehicles formed at checkpoints. “Our army, police, and all law enforcement agencies are alert and performing their duties. Unfortunately, the question remains: Where are these attacks coming from, and how are they happening?” said resident Fazal Satar, 58.At least 12 people were killed and 27 wounded in the suicide bombing, the first such incident to hit the capital in nearly three years. “It was a very powerful explosion,” said Muhammad Imran, a 42-year-old police official who was wounded in the attack.”It was a very sudden bang, and I felt like someone had thrown me to the ground,” he told AFP.Sharjeel Ahmed, a 26-year-old student, worried about how the violence would affect foreign investment and Pakistan’s ability to host international sports matches. “In my opinion, this is a serious security lapse, and we must learn from it. If such attacks continue, how will the world trust us?” he said.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari held security talks in the hours after the attack.”Both leaders reiterated their commitment that operations against foreign-backed terrorists and their facilitators will continue until terrorism is completely eradicated,” a statement from the president’s office said.- Judges, lawyers afraid -Islamabad has long since accused the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban, which the Kabul government denies.The Taliban government expressed its “deep sorrow & condemnation” over the suicide bombing and a separate attack on a military-run college in Wana, near the Afghan frontier.A Pakistani security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said all recruits at the Cadet College Wana were rescued after a raid that killed five militants. The insurgency waged by the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has focused mainly on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan has seen an uptick in violence since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, and bilateral relations have plummeted in recent weeks.The worst cross-border fighting in years killed more than 70 people last month, including dozens of Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations.In Pakistan, the TTP threatened more attacks until Islamic law is implemented in the Muslim-majority country.Hafiz Mazhar Malik Javeed, a lawyer burying a colleague killed in the suicide bombing, feared for the future.”All the judges and lawyers were afraid,” the 45-year-old said at the cemetery. “We thought, maybe after some times, they will attack us again.”

Syrupy aromas drift across the guarded compound of Bangladesh’s only licensed distillery, a state-owned producer posting record profits in the Muslim-majority nation, where Islamists are staging a political comeback.That’s a surprising success in a country where the vast majority of its 170 million people are barred from buying its products.Alcohol is tightly regulated in Bangladesh, the world’s fourth most populous Muslim nation.Carew and Co, established under British rule 87 years ago, produced $10 million in profit in 2024–25, and paid the same again in taxes, said managing director Rabbik Hasan.”This is the highest profit since the company’s establishment,” Hasan told AFP. “We expect further growth in the coming year.”Bangladesh has faced turbulent times.A mass uprising in August 2024 ousted the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina, who had been criticised for extensive human rights abuses and had taken a hard line against Islamist movements during her 15-year rule.Since she fled to India — defying extradition orders to attend her crimes against humanity trial — Islamist groups have grown increasingly assertive.Alcohol, forbidden under Islam, has escaped their condemnation, but they have demanded restrictions on cultural activities they consider “anti-Islamic” —  including music and theatre festivals, women’s football matches, and kite-flying celebrations.An interim government is leading the South Asian nation towards elections expected in February 2026.But at the sprawling Darsana facility near the Indian border, humming machines fill bottles.Carew’s popular brands range from the golden-hued “Imperial Whisky” to “Tsarina Vodka”, distilled from sugarcane with flavourings imported from the Netherlands.”We never encourage anyone to drink — we only sell to those who already do,” Hassan added.- ‘Zero doubt’ -Buying an alcoholic drink in Bangladesh requires a government permit, issued only to those aged over 21, and mainly granted to non-Muslims, who require a medical prescription.”Alcohol is forbidden,” said Hasan Maruf, director general of the Department of Narcotics Control, but added that “exemptions exist for certain communities”.That includes foreigners and workers on the country’s tea estates, where Carew’s low-cost liquor is popular among the 150,000 mainly Hindu workers.Around 10 percent of Bangladeshi are not Muslims, mainly Hindus.This year, only the company’s sugar division suffered losses — with its mills also producing fertiliser, vinegar, and industrial alcohol.Carew provides the only source of regulated liquor — alongside a separate brewery producing Hunter, Bangladesh’s only beer, owned by the Jamuna Group conglomerate.Those are reliable products in a country where illegal moonshine stills — or the dangerous adulteration of imported liquor — has been a persistent problem.Fish trader Prince Mamun, 42, said he has been drinking Carew for two decades. “It’s cheaper and safer than imported brands,” he said, adding that he holds a permit and drinks about 20 days a month.”I drink Carew products with zero doubt.”Shah Alam, a devout Muslim and 38-year employee in the bottling unit, has never tasted the products.Yet he praises the distillery for its contributions to the local community, from education to employment.”I don’t drink anything from here, nor am I involved with the selling,” Alam, 59, said. “All I am doing here is my job.”

When families of those killed in Nepal’s deadly September protests that toppled the government demanded justice, the anguish felt painfully familiar to Sunamati Chaudhari.Her husband, an English teacher, was taken by security forces 22 years ago at the height of a decade-long civil war. He never returned.Chaudhari, 62, has been searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance ever since.”We left no stone unturned in search of my husband. We went to court, sought help of many organisations — and even reached Geneva,” she told AFP, referring to her bid to seek help from the United Nations. “But nothing happened.”She is among the thousands of relatives waiting for closure since a 2006 peace deal ended a conflict in which more than 16,000 people were killed and 1,400 remain missing.Abuses were committed by both Maoist rebels and state forces.”I would dream of him every night,” Chaudhari said.Justice has been glacial in the Himalayan nation.Nepal’s authorities have long been criticised for failing to adequately probe wartime abuses.Two transitional justice commissions set up in 2015 have yet to resolve a single case, despite receiving more than 65,000 complaints of rape, murder and enforced disappearances.- ‘Culture of impunity’ -Nepal is now reeling from fresh political upheaval.Youth-led demonstrations against a social media ban, worsening economic woes and corruption erupted nationwide in September, leaving at least 76 people dead in a violent crackdown.Parliament, courts and civil service buildings were torched, and the government collapsed.Former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, was named interim prime minister to steer Nepal until elections in March 2026.For many families still haunted by the civil war, the political shake-up has stirred a fragile mix of hope and anxiety.Preeti Tharu, 22, whose father was abducted by rebels before she was born, fears history will repeat itself.”The previous government only showed assurances,” she said. “And I know, with this changing situation, the state’s priority might be something else.”Gita Rasaili, who heads the Conflict Victim Women National Network, said she hoped they could find common cause with the new generation demanding government action.”We worried that our agenda was over, because there are now new victims’ families and new martyrs,” she told AFP.”But we are all fighting against a culture of impunity.”- ‘Volatile’ -In August, before the uprising, families gathered to mark the International Day of the Disappeared at a new memorial park in western Nepal’s Bardiya district.Families of some of the 258 missing people from the district planted trees and lit candles.Park coordinator Niranjan Kumar Chaudhari, whose father was taken away by the army, said the new crop of politicians in the interim government were among the few who had taken action to support their cause.”The current prime minister and home minister are both advocates for victims of war crimes,” Chaudhari said.”But the political situation is volatile.”It was under Karki’s watch as chief justice that a court in 2017 sentenced three soldiers to 20 years in jail for the murder of a teenage girl.At the time, it was only the second conviction for crimes committed during the war.The Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons says its work will continue regardless of the political situation.”We have received 2,610 complaints so far,” said commission chief Lila Devi Gadtaula, who aims to complete investigations within four years, with progress slowed by limited forensic resources.But for families like Chaudhari’s, time has already run out.In July, she and her two sons performed her husband’s death rites.”It’s already too late,” she said. “Many prime ministers have come and gone, but nobody addressed our problem.”