- US-backed effort to fight Afghan corruption a near-total failure
Ms. Karimova was once described in leaked U.S. diplomatic cables as a possible successor to her father. But her absence from the state funeral opened a window into the fortunes of the Karimov family—and the country’s new direction since his death. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Three Pakistani Taliban leaders have reportedly been killed in joint Afghan and NATO air strikes in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistani security sources say. – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Rebeka Foley writes: These changes may have been in the works long before Karimov died. An ongoing economic downturn in the region has motivated many governments to clamp down on dissent and tighten their grip on the political system. Nevertheless, the developments warrant close observation, and serve as a reminder that authoritarian regimes are inherently brittle, as they actively suppress the institutions that make democracies flexible and resilient. – Freedom House’s Freedom at Issue
The top Pakistani official in the volatile dispute over Kashmir warned in an interview that India is dangerously escalating a war of words over the divided territory between the two nuclear-armed powers, vehemently denying that Islamabad was behind a recent attack that killed 18 soldiers at an Indian military base there. – Washington Times
U.S. and Indian troops are wrapping up counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism training this month in Uttarakhand, an Indian state that borders Chinese-occupied Tibet. – Stars and Stripes
Pakistan is not putting adequate pressure on militants within its borders that are threatening stability in neighboring Afghanistan, according to the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan. – The Hill
Pakistan continues to believe terrorist attacks will allow it to obtain territory it covets in Jammu and Kashmir, India’s foreign minister said Monday. – Associated Press
Pakistan's lower house of parliament has passed a landmark bill giving its small Hindu minority the right to register marriages, the last major hurdle on the way to enacting a law aimed at protecting women's rights. - Reuters