Pakistan

India launches missile strikes on Pakistan, tensions escalate

By Muhammad Abubakar

India has launched missile strikes on nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, targeting what it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” The strikes come amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that claimed 26 lives.

Pakistan reported that at least eight people were killed and 35 injured in the strikes. Authorities in Islamabad condemned the assault as an “unprovoked, blatant act of war,” accusing India of deliberately targeting civilian areas.

In response, Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, though Indian officials have yet to confirm any such losses.

The incident marks a dangerous escalation in a region with a long and volatile history, raising fresh concerns about stability and the risk of broader conflict.

Tribute to Prof. Khurshīd Aḥmad (1932–2025): A pioneer of contemporary Islamic economics and finance

Innā li-Llāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn.

The passing of Prof. Khurshīd Aḥmad marks the end of an era in the intellectual development of contemporary Islamic thought, particularly in the fields of al-Iqtiṣād al-Islāmī (Islamic economics) and al-Mālīyyah al-Islāmiyyah (Islamic finance). 

A polymath, visionary, and tireless reformer, Prof. Khurshīd Aḥmad was one of the most distinguished Muslim thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries. His scholarship, activism, and public service bridged the worlds of theory and practice, faith and governance, tradition and modernity.

Born in Delhi in 1932 and later migrating to Pakistan following the partition, he pursued higher education in economics and law. He eventually earned a Master’s in Islamic Studies and a PhD in Economics from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. He was not merely an academic in the conventional sense; he was an intellectual activist whose writings and public engagements profoundly shaped the global discourse on Islam and economic justice.

His Legacy in Islamic Finance

Among his many contributions, Prof. Khurshī Aḥmad’s most outstanding intellectual work in the field of Islamic finance is arguably his foundational role in articulating and systematising the theoretical framework of an Islamic economic order, particularly through his seminal work: Islam: Its Meaning and Message (edited by Khurshīd Aḥmad, first published 1976).

This edited volume contains his essay  “The Islamic Way of Life”, which not only presents the ethical foundations of Islam but also outlines the spiritual, social, and economic dimensions of Islamic governance.

More specifically related to economics is his earlier and pioneering treatise: Islamic Economic System: A Socio-Economic and Political Analysis (1970). This work laid down the theoretical underpinnings of al-Niẓām al-Iqtiṣādī al-Islāmī and served as a cornerstone for the subsequent emergence of Islamic banking and financial institutions.

In Islamic Economic System, Prof. Khurshīd Aḥmad delineates a clear moral and functional distinction between the capitalist, socialist, and Islamic paradigms, advocating a system well entrenched in tawḥīd, ʿadl, and mashwarah.

He was also instrumental in the formation of the International Institute of Islamic Economics (IIIE) at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. He advised several governments and Islamic financial institutions in conceptualising and implementing Sharīʿah-compliant economic policies. His influence continues to shape policies in countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, and Sudan, and in global institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

Prof. Khurshī Aḥmad’s intellectual legacy transcends geographical and disciplinary boundaries. He championed a vision of Islamic economics and finance not merely as an alternative system but as a holistic worldview embedded in divine guidance and aimed at achieving justice, equity, and human dignity.

May Allāh (Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā) forgive his shortcomings, reward him with Jannah al-Firdaws, and accept his works as ṣadaqah jāriyah. His writings will continue enlightening scholars, guiding policymakers, and inspiring future generations.

Dr. Oyekolade Sodiq OYESANYA wrote from the Department of Religious Studies, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Nigeria.

NAHCON kicks off major preparations for 2025 Hajj

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), led by Chairman Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, has commenced its official preparations for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage with a significant working visit to Saudi Arabia.

The visit, which started on January 7, 2025, follows an invitation from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU), and aims to lay the groundwork for a successful pilgrimage later in the year.

The Nigerian delegation, which includes top NAHCON officials, is set to finalize key arrangements for the 2025 Hajj.

This includes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi authorities, which is scheduled for January 12, 2025.

The MoU will outline the framework for the coming year’s Hajj operations. Nigerian Foreign Minister, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, will sign the MoU on behalf of Nigeria.

Accompanying Prof. Usman are NAHCON Commissioners for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), Prof. Abubakar Abubakar Yagawal; Operations, Inspectorate, and Licensing Services (OILS), Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi; and Policy, Personnel Management, and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Prince Aliu Abdulrazaq.

Representatives from various Nigerian states’ Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and Commissions, as well as Private Tour Operators, are also part of the visit.

Additionally, members from the Nigerian National Assembly, the Presidency, and the aviation industry have joined the delegation to help oversee preparations and decision-making.

A crucial part of the visit is the attendance of the International Hajj Expo, which kicks off on January 13, 2025. The delegation will evaluate potential service providers for Nigerian pilgrims at the event.

As part of the visit’s agenda, Prof. Usman and his team will hold consular meetings and engage in discussions with the heads of other countries’ Hajj missions.

They will also meet with the supervisors of the Hajj e-track registration portal, as well as officials from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and other key stakeholders.

These consultations will finalize arrangements ahead of the MoU signing and set the stage for subsequent contracts with service providers, including United Agents, Car Syndicates, Tafweej, Adillah in Madinah, and Health Supervision Companies.

Meanwhile, other NAHCON staff members are conducting inspections of accommodations, catering facilities, and medical establishments in Makkah and Madinah to ensure they meet the required standards before finalizing agreements with service providers.

The ongoing preparations reflect Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring a smooth and successful Hajj for its citizens, with all logistical and service arrangements being carefully put in place ahead of the pilgrimage later in the year.

NAHCON disburses N5.3b refund to pilgrims’ welfare boards, tour operators

By Uzair Adam

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has refunded N4.4 billion to Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the Armed Forces, following service lapses during the 2023 Hajj.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, NAHCON’s Head of Public Affairs, Malam Muhammad Musa, disclosed that the refund was specifically for electricity services that were inadequately provided during the Masha’ir (core Hajj period) by Saudi authorities.

Additionally, NAHCON has reimbursed N917.1 million to 192 accredited tour companies that participated in the pilgrimage, with instructions for the funds to be distributed to their respective pilgrims.

Further refunds to other participating tour operators will be made after necessary reconciliations.

“This refund demonstrates the Commission’s dedication to transparency and accountability under the leadership of its Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman,” Musa stated.

He advised pilgrims who took part in the 2023 Hajj to contact their respective State Pilgrims’ Welfare Agencies or tour operators to claim their refunds, with each pilgrim entitled to receive N61,080.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Hajj, NAHCON urged intending pilgrims to deposit their Hajj fares promptly to facilitate early arrangements in line with Saudi guidelines.

To ensure the refund process is handled transparently, the Commission has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant agencies to monitor the disbursement closely.

“This collaboration will help ensure that the funds reach the intended beneficiaries without discrepancies,” Musa added.

COP27: A recap of the first week and what lies ahead for the host nation

By Dr. Yakubu Wudil and Umar F. Ahmad

As we head into the second week of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which started on November 6, delegates and observers have been involved in discussions on various subjects regarding how to achieve climate action and build sustainable economies around the world. Therefore, taking a step back and reviewing some of the successes and drawbacks recorded based on the first week of the climate negotiation conference is essential.

COP27 is taking place, knowing fully that there is an inadequate will to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The past year has witnessed unprecedented heatwaves around the world and ravaging floods like the ones experienced in Pakistan and some parts of Nigeria. These saw millions of people confronting the impacts of concurrent crises in food, water, energy, and cost of living, worsened by fierce geopolitical tensions and conflicts. However, with all these adverse effects, some countries have reversed climate policies and returned to business as usual. This, in turn, poses a threat to the host continent, which remains vulnerable to the effects of climate change and has contributed the least to global warming.

The African Union (AU) marked the second day of the conference as ‘Africa Day.’ Africa Day offered the African Development Bank (AFDB) and countries, including development partners, the opportunity to pinpoint measures that can guide them in tapping the continent’s unique economic potential. However, a caution was raised by the AFDB president Akinwumi Adesina, “even with Africa’s unique and vast arable land, we cannot unlock our agricultural potential unless we adapt to climate change.”

A youth leader, Lucky Abeng, made it clear to the AU to ensure that the conference implements decisions reached at the meetings without further delay. The Global Center for Adaptation and the African Union Commission signed a memorandum of understanding that involves the mobilization of at least $25 billion for the African Adaptation Acceleration Program over five years. This will quickly prepare the continent for the consequences of climate change.

The national statement delivered by the President of Senegal made it clear that Africa is reaffirming its commitments under the Paris Agreement and its obligations to the continent’s specific needs being taken into account. “What we need is a just transition,” he further stressed. While these statements were ongoing, there happens to be a big climate financing for the African continent. Starting with the commitment made by a group of about 85 African insurers to come up with a facility that will climate-proof the most vulnerable in the continent known as the African Climate Risk Facility (ACRF). This commitment will provide $1.4 billion in climate risk insurance to protect 1.4 billion people against droughts, floods, and cyclones through African sovereigns, NGOs, and aid agencies. These measures will contribute to bridging the wide climate risk gap on the continent exerted by wealthy nations for compensation due to ‘loss and damage’ caused by global warming.

On decarbonization day, Africa’s renewable energy share is 40%, the highest in the world, says Amani, the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union. She added that the “African common position on energy access and just transition stipulates that Africa will continue to use its resources, including oil and gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuels.”

However, even with fossil fuels, the recent Russia-Ukraine war has exposed the world’s lack of preparedness to meet its energy challenges. These challenges have sparked present-day political debate due to scientific and public concerns about the environment. Consequently, the recent effort by Germany to restart its previously shut downed three nuclear power plants has made the world reconsider its position regarding nuclear power.

The African continent should be looking towards deploying all low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear, in the energy mix. Complementing renewables such as solar and wind, which are intermittent sources of energy, nuclear energy requires less land to generate the same amount of electricity 24 hours a day.

The President of the United States (U.S), Joe Biden, echoed that “the climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security, and the very life of the planet.” He further announced bolder protections against methane pollution from the oil and gas industry and that the U.S. will meet its emissions target by 2030.

The European Union announced its goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and is set to host a high-level event in the second week of the conference to launch an initiative called ‘Team Europe Initiative on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa.’ Consequently, a recent article by Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, reported that “many of my peers are frustrated with Western hypocrisy and its inability to take responsibility.” He argued that governments have repeatedly failed to honour their commitments to the $100 billion fund for climate adaptation and mitigation in the developing world. Some also cite this as his decision to shun this year’s event.

Interestingly, the African continent sends many delegates to these summits. Still, there has been noticeable silence from leading African activists on turning ambition into action. This may be attributed to the no active role participation assigned to these delegates but rather appointed as observers viewing these proceedings on a TV screen.

Meanwhile, other African delegates seem to not care about the continent they are representing, however, and sadly, become ‘attack dogs’ for African governments in lobbying for ‘Climate Financing’ reparations and are being sponsored by their governments to attend these summits. The UN Environment states that Africa needs 3 trillion US Dollars to implement the continent’s National Determined Contributions (NDCs), but the question remains whether the national budget of African governments is considered a climate action instrument or whether they are utilizing their available resources to build climate-smart communities. In the remaining days of the conference, the delegates and observers from African nations need to look within the continent and work together as there are saviours out there.

Mr Umar Ahmad is a nuclear physicist working with the Centre for Renewable Energy Research at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria (oumarulfarouq@gmail.com). Dr Yakubu Wudil is with the Renewable Energy Research Center, KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. (yswudil@yahoo.com)

Just In: Gunman shoots Pakistan’s ex-PM, Imran Khan

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was wounded by gunfire on Thursday, according to a member of his staff.

About 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Islamabad, the country’s capital, the incident happened in Wazirabad.

Many of Khan’s colleagues were also hurt, according to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party member.

One person has also been reported dead, according to reports.

“A man opened fire with an automatic weapon. Several people are wounded. Imran Khan is also injured,” Asad Umar told Reuters.

A gunshot struck Khan in the shin as he was leading a protest march in Islamabad calling for immediate elections.

Gunmen kill prominent Pakistani journalist, Arshad Sharif, in Kenya

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A prominent Pakistani journalist and TV presenter, Arshad Sharif, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi.

Arshad Sharif’s wife, Javeria Siddique announced the demise of her husband on Twitter in the early hours of Monday, October 24, 2022.

“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya. Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital. Remember us in ur prayers,” she tweeted.

She appealed to the public to respect her family’s privacy and desist from sharing pictures of her husband’s last moment on social media. She also said politicians and the media are not allowed with cameras in their home.

“Pls @Twitter remove last picture’s of my late husband @arsched from ur social media site. Politicians and media are not welcomed with cameras inside our house,” she pleaded.

As at the time of writing this report, authorities of Kenya and Paskitan are yet to officially confirm the development.

TikTok and selling immorality to consumers on the internet

By Yahuza Abdulkadir

A source culled from Wikipedia says that TikTok, known in China as Douyin, is a video-focused social networking service owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. It hosts a variety of short-form user videos, from genres like pranks, stunts, tricks, jokes, dance, and entertainment with durations from 15 seconds to three minutes. TikTok is an international version of Douyin, released initially in the Chinese market in September 2016.

However, I was not a user of TikTok until a few weeks back when a friend gave me the hint to start using the app to promote my art by creating short videos of spoken word poetry. And then, I came to learn young people use the platform to showcase their talents in comedy, singing, dancing and other forms of entertainment through creating short videos and sharing them across a community of users.

However, after launching my account, I felt it was boring for people like me to find comfort there. The only person I was able to follow was Alhan Islam because I am interested in what she does. After a few days, I could no longer log in to the app again.

As of January 2022, out of the 4.8 billion social media users globally, TikTok has 1 billion active users, earning a spot in the six most famous social media platforms. Cloudfare’s 2021 Year In Review puts TikTok as the most famous website in 2021, surpassing even Google. Tiktok net worth is $50 billion in 2020 and now nearly $75 billion in 2022. Despite the nature of content promoted on the platform, one may want to know that so many individuals earn huge amounts of money through their videos’ engagements.

According to Forbes Magazine, a 17-year-old American social media personality and dancer, Charli D’Amelio, the most followed video-creator on the platform, earned $17.5 million in 2021, making her the highest-paid TikToker of the year.

I read many articles on Facebook and other blogs where people lament the platform to be a weapon for killing the young women in this generation. They said most of the videos created by users promote indecency and immorality. But recently, I found out that it’s not only in Nigeria that such content is being promoted; it’s almost everywhere globally. This made some countries take legal action on the matter. Countries like Pakistan has imposed and lifted four bans on TikTok, tagging the platform to be responsible for promoting immoral, obscene and vulgar content.

Bangladesh government also involved itself in the war against pornography to save children and adults from moral and social degradation by blocking the platform’s internet access. TikTok was also temporarily banned in Indonesia in the year 2018. The Indonesian government said the platform has a lot of harmful content to children.

In 2020, the platform was also banned by the Indian government to protect the data and privacy of its citizens from threats that have to do with national security, and they tagged the platform responsible for promoting inappropriate content. As a result, the platform lost 167 million users in the country. What would surprise you is that even China has banned the use of this platform.

This shows that the Nigerian government can also ban TikTok if it wants to. Do you think it’s not possible? I think it’s possible if we look at the “Twitter ban saga.” Unless the government thinks the use of this platform has no consequence on their side. If that’s the case, we need to go back to our homes and solve the problem. As people would say, “Charity begins at home.”

We shall all know that social media platforms are there to serve a purpose, and if it turns out that we tend to lose our good morals and forget where we came from by joining the trends and “feel among syndrome” – showing the world how indecent we are, then we have deceived nobody but us. So I think good characters matters the most.

Furthermore, it’s disheartening to see the young women in the Arewa community selling their body parts on cyberspace, not only on TikTok. This occurs almost on every social media platform. It’s a massive disappointment to our cultures and values. Whatever one might engage in, they should know “the internet never forgets.”

Yahuza Abdulkadir wrote from yahuzaabdulkadir50@gmail.com.

Afghanistan: Superpowers’ invasion and history of resistance

By Aminu Rabiu Kano

 

The history of Afghanistan is one characterized by epic tragedy. The narrative of the “Afghan problem” has been diverse, with each actor telling their side of the story in a bid to justify their action or inaction as the case may be. A poor, landlocked Afghanistan is one of the few countries in the world which events happening in and around it have been dominating the headlines for decades. Both the mainstream and social media are obsessed with happenings in the country. Indeed, even the layman on the street is more or less interested in the Afghan problem to the extent that virtually everyone can say one or two things about it. The question that follows, therefore, is, why is the world interested in happenings in Afghanistan? In other words, why are developments in Afghanistan capable of generating reactions around the world? Also, why have the superpowers in history found it necessary to invade Afghanistan?

 

To answer the above questions, we must begin by establishing the geopolitical relevance of Afghanistan on the world map. Afghanistan is doubtlessly strategically located. It is at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. It borders Pakistan, China, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is predominantly mountainous and inhabited by approximately 32 million people – nearly 45% of whom speak the Pashtun language. Moreover, the Afghan population is primarily Muslim. This reason, coupled with the fact that it borders Iran, Afghanistan is sometimes seen as a part of the “Wider Middle East.”

 

From the list of the countries bordering Afghanistan, one will realize the geographical importance of Afghanistan in the international political environment. Of the five countries that bordered it, Iran and China stand out. However, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan had been part of the former Soviet Union that fell apart in the 1990s. This implies that Afghanistan has been a neighbour to glorious powers both in the past and present.

 

Therefore, it was invaded severally by several empires across ages due to its essential, strategic location. For example, Alexander The Great of the Macedonian empire invaded Afghanistan in 330 BC as part of the war against Persia. Alexander saw that he could only get the Persian empire subdued by invading Afghanistan. Similarly, foreign powers such as the Persian Empires, the Mongol Empire led by Khan Ghengis, the Mughal Empire, the Timurid Empire, the Rashidun Caliphate, and the Sikh Empire conquered Afghanistan.

 

Little wonder, Afghanistan, even in the modern era, grappled with yet other rounds of invasions, but this time around by the “superpowers”. The superpowers being the USA and the USSR. During the cold war, these superpowers used Afghanistan, among other countries, to test their military, economic and political powers. It all started when, in April 1978, the People Democratic Party of Afghanistan overthrew the Afghanistan government. Nur Muhammad Taraki, secretary of the PDPA, became president of Afghanistan. But Taraki’s government was communist in orientation and enacted some policies that were not well received by the masses. Thus, the masses hated government, and, as a result, Taraki was overthrown by Hafizullah Amin in September 1979. Despite the change of government from Taraki to Amin, opposition to communist rule continued even under Amin. In December 1979, Amin was shot and replaced by Babrak Kamal, who was in exile in Moscow. Kamal’s government heavily relied on the Soviet military for support and protection against his vast opponents.

 

Opposition to the communist government continued, which prompted the USSR to invade Afghanistan, deploying more than 50,000 soldiers. This occupation was even met by fierce resistance by Afghans, who have joined the Mujahedeen – a guerilla movement that proclaimed to be fighting anti-Islamic forces in Muslim lands. The Mujahedeen would later be referred to as the “Taliban”. The Taliban was formed by Mullah Muhammad Umar, who recruited young Muslim students from Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan to fight the Soviet Military. Over the next ten years, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. In the end, the Soviet military was forced to withdraw from Afghanistan.

 

However, the mujahedeen (or the Taliban, if you like) did not fight the war alone: they were heavily supported, armed and financed by the USA, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. USA was mainly instrumental in its support to the Taliban because it feared that if the USSR succeeded in occupying Afghanistan, its national interests would be threatened. In fact, the US’s intervention was informed by the need to resist the advance of what former President Reagan called the “evil vampire”. Then, the two superpowers – the USA and USSR – were in the heat of the cold war. Therefore, the US saw that if the Soviet Union succeeded in implanting communist rule in Afghanistan, the domino theory would materialize. This means that the USSR would also succeed in spreading communist ideology into those countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Most Fundamentally, by gaining the control of the Middle East, the USSR would determine oil and gas supply to the US and its allies in the West. This meant that the Soviets could do great harm to the US economy and those of its allies by cutting off the oil supply since oil was a vital product so crucial that military and industrial operations heavily depended on it.

 

After the withdrawal of the Soviet military from Afghanistan, the Taliban formed an Islamic government. Osama Bin Laden – a Saudi citizen – was instrumental in fighting the Soviet army. As the son of a rich and influential citizen in Saudi Arabia, Osama contributed substantial financial resources to the Afghanistan war that lasted for ten years. He later formed Al-Qaeda, which was said to be a terrorist movement determined to liberate the Muslim land from Western influence. On 11 September 2001, 4 aeroplanes were hijacked by, allegedly, the Al-Qaeda. Two were flown to the Twin Towers housing the World Trade Centre, one flown to the Pentagon and the other to Pennsylvania. As a result, more than 5000 people lost their lives, and critical government infrastructures were destroyed.

 

The US was quick to blame Osama’s Al-Qaeda for the tragic 9/11 event. The US President George Bush soon declared war on terror. The war was first on Afghanistan, which led to the overthrow of the Taliban government. After that, the American forces established a democratic government with its foundation in and allegiance to American imperialism. However, after 20 years of occupation, the Taliban expediently returned to power when the US forces willingly decided to withdraw from Afghanistan.

 

From the foregoing, three lessons can be learned. One, Afghans have a genetic history of resistance to foreign domination. Second, Afghanistan is a strategic country that played an important part in the Great Game power struggles for centuries. Finally, it is evident from the above that Afghanistan’s series of invasions was no end in itself, but a means to an end. Put it more succinctly, Afghanistan is a gateway for foreign powers. Its invasion would allow the superpowers to dominate the Asian continent, including the oil-rich Arab world. Overall, Afghanistan, despite its myriad of aggression by foreign superpowers, is still in existence. It survives!

 

Aminu Rabiu Kano is a political and public affairs analyst. He can be reached via 08062669232.

Pakistan bans TikTok for “immoral content”

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has, again, on Wednesday banned the popular video-sharing platform TikTok for the “continuous presence of inappropriate content on the platform and its failure to take such content down”.

Pakistan banned the platform for the same reason the first time in October 2020. However, TikTok assured the authorities that it would take measures to censor the contents deemed inappropriate. Days later, the ban was lifted.

Pakistan, an Islamic Republic and seen as conservative by many, blocked the app for the second and third time based on complaints from its citizens and under its Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016. This current ban is reportedly the fourth. However, India blocked the app for reportedly political-cum-diplomatic reasons.

In Nigeria, a social commentator, Muhammad Ubale Kiru, recently criticised the app for promoting “immorality” among northern Nigerian youth. A post he wrote on Facebook went viral in the region’s cyberspace. In reaction to Kiru’s post, several people called on the Nigerian government to ban the Chinese-origin app.