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Posts published in “Afghanistan”

Acting Minister Claims Women’s Rights ‘Not Repressed’

report in TOLOnews, Sept 14, 2023The acting Minister of Vice and Virtue Mohammad Khalid Hanafi claimed that the rights of women under the Islamic Emirate have not been repressed. He made the remarks in a ceremony introducing the new governor for Badakhshan. Referring to the international community, Hanafi said that they are accusing the Islamic Emirate of violating women’s rights, while they have themselves violated the rights of women. “Those who don’t give heritage to…

West: Islamic Emirate ‘Significantly Degraded ISKP Capability’

By Fatema Adeeb in TOLOnews, Sept 13, 2023 at 8:29 PMUS Special Envoy Thomas West said that the Daesh attacks have decreased in Afghanistan. Speaking at a seminar at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, West said that since early 2023, “Taliban raids in Afghanistan have removed at least eight key ISKP leaders.” “The group that we worry most about is the Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, ISKP. I think it’s notable that since…

Afghan students appeal to India for Visa extensions and scholarship resumption

By Fidel Rahmati in Khaama Press, Sept 13, 2023Hundreds of Afghan college students whose student visas have expired gathered in New Delhi on Wednesday to protest and request the Indian government to grant visa extensions and permit them to resume their studies. India has generously provided scholarships to numerous international students, including those from Afghanistan, enabling them to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies. This initiative has opened doors to quality education for thousands, fostering academic…

Protesters demand reopening of Torkham border

report report in Dawn, Sept 14th, 2023KHYBER: Scores of political activists, transporters, traders, Customs clearing agent, labourers and representatives of local organisations held a protest demonstration against the prolonged closure of Torkham border in Landi Kotal on Wednesday. Held at Bacha Khan Chowk, the demonstration was addressed by Mirajuddin, Muqtadir Shah, Shahid Shinwari, Wali Mohammad, Qari Nazeemgul, Aftab Ahmad and others. They termed the closure of Torkham border an economic murder of the people affiliated…

Afghan Refugees Complain of Mistreatment by Pakistani Police

report in TOLOnews, Sept 11, 2023 at 10:11 PMIn the wake of rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, Afghan refugees in Pakistan complained about mistreatment by the county’s police. An official of the Afghan Refugee Council in Pakistan said that the Pakistani police have arbitrarily detained 100 Afghan refugees in Karachi. “They have imposed heavy fines. They have taken actions under the pretext of illegal migration. This is a major concern,” said Mir Ahmad Rauf,…

Uzbek-Afghan-Pak Railway Project: A potential ‘game-changer’ for Pakistan

By Aziz Buneri in Pakistan Today, Sept 11, 2023PESHAWAR: The Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project is poised to become a “game-changer” for Pakistan and emerge a key connectivity hub for Central Asian countries, according to Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Chairman Standing Committee of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Pakistan Railways and Dry Ports. This ambitious railway endeavor, spanning a total of 760 kilometers, is set to traverse through Termiz in Uzbekistan, Logar, and Mazar-i-Sharif in…

UN sees ‘drastic’ rise in Afghan meth trade after opiate ban

AFP report, Sept 11, 2023KABUL: Trafficking of the highly addictive stimulant methamphetamine in Afghanistan has surged in recent years, said a UN report published on Sunday, indicating an expansion of the drug’s production following the Taliban’s crackdown on the opiate trade. Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have clamped down on the decades-old, lucrative trade in poppy tar — the psychoactive substance in heroin — since surging back to power two years ago. But while the heroin trade…

Prime Minister’s Absence From Meetings Raises Questions

By Fatema Adeeb in Tolo News, Sepy 09, 2023 at 9:58 PMTwo months after coming back to Kabul from Kandahar, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Islamic Emirate, has not been reported to have visited with officials of foreign countries or participated in significant meetings. The Islamic Emirate’s Prime Minister left Kandahar on July 17, 2023, and returned to Kabul after two months of rest and medical treatment. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,…

US Officials: ‘Unlikely’ Al Qaeda Will Revive in Afghanistan

By Fatema Adeeb in Tolo News, Sept 09, 2023 at 8:24 PMNew US intelligence assessments suggest that it is “unlikely” al Qaeda will revive in Afghanistan and Pakistan and that counterterrorism operations by the “Taliban” in Afghanistan have degraded the Islamic State’s presence there, senior US officials said on Friday. They added that the terrorist presence in Afghanistan has been waning despite the US military’s withdrawal from the country in 2021. According to US officials,…

Lawmakers call for cautioning Chinese envoy over his controversial remarks

by Anil Giri in The Kathmandu Post, Sept 8, 2023Several members of Parliament have asked the government to caution—and seek clarification from—Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song over his ‘undiplomatic’ remarks on Nepal’s energy trading with India and the state of the Indian economy. On Saturday, speaking at a discussion titled ‘China in global economy and its impact in Nepal’, Chen spoke at length about Nepal’s trade with India. “Unfortunately, you have a neighbour like…

7 Media Outlets in Paktia Stopped Operations Due to Economic Challenges

report in TOLOnews, Sept 5, 2023The activities of seven media outlets in Paktia have stopped due to economic challenges after the Islamic Emirate took over the country. According to the officials, these include four radio stations, two print media outlets, and one online media outlet. “The media operating in the province have many economic problems and there is no specific source to finance them,” said Sayed Omer Adil, head of a radio station in Paktia.…