A resident of Delhi, Siddiqui was on a reporting assignment with the Afghan security forces when he was killed….reports Asian Lite News
Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize winner, was killed in Afghanistan while on a reporting assignment, Afghan ambassador Farid Mamundzay said on Friday.
A resident of Delhi, Siddiqui was on a reporting assignment with the Afghan security forces when he was killed.
Siddiqui’s father Professor Akhtar Siddiqui told IANS: “I got information about my son about one hour ago. The last time I spoke to my son was two days ago, and he was very happy at that time. “
Afghanistan’s ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay, tweeted, “Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish Seddiqi in Kandahar last night. The Indian Journalist & winner of Pulitzer Prize was embedded with Afghan security forces. I met him 2 weeks ago before his departure to Kabul. Condolences to his family & Reuters.”
Danish Siddiqui was constantly capturing Afghan happenings in his camera, and was informing people through his social media posts.
Two days ago, he tweeted: “The Humvee in which I was travelling with other special forces was also targeted by at least 3 RPG rounds and other weapons. I was lucky to be safe and capture the visual of one of the rockets hitting the armour plate overhead”. He also posted a short video about the action.
Siddiqui was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his coverage of the Rohingya issue.
He was a student of Jamia University and his father has been a professor at the university.
This was the first time Jaishankar met both Ghani and Khalilzad after the Afghan President’s visit to the US last month, reports Asian Lite News
Amid heightened tensions due to the Taliban gaining vast territories in Afghanistan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Thursday assured President Ashraf Ghani of New Delhi’s “support” when they met in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent, on the margins of a conference.
Jaishankar, who reached Tashkent Thursday after a two-day trip to Dushanbe in Tajikistan, also met Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation.
“Pleased to call on President @ashrafghani. Discussed the current situation in and around Afghanistan. Reiterated our support for peace, stability and development of Afghanistan,” Jaishankar tweeted Thursday.
In the meeting, Jaishankar also met Liz Sherwood-Randall, Homeland Security Advisor of the White House, who had accompanied Khalilzad.
Taliban
“Pleased to meet Dy NSA Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall @LSRTweets and US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad @US4AfghanPeace. Exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan,” he said, in another tweet.
This was the first time Jaishankar met both Ghani and Khalilzad after the Afghan President’s visit to the US last month.
Ghani had met President Joe Biden along with Afghanistan’s key peace and reconciliation leader Abdullah Abdullah on their visit on 25 June.
It was after this meeting that Biden announced the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan by 31 August.
Ghani and Jaishankar are attending a two-day conference, titled ‘The International Conference on Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities’, in Uzbekistan, that also has Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in attendance.
According to sources, the Ghani government is conducting a review of the Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) military strategy which could see it shift tactics in dealing with the Taliban, that have claimed several key towns and border check post areas in the last week.
This was the first high-level meeting between Delhi and Kabul since the government decided to pull out all Indian personnel from the Consulate in Kandahar. Internal assessments have suggested that while the Taliban has not been successful in moving into many more populated cities, it will seek to control Kandahar, which was its traditional base. Officials said President Ghani was ‘determined’ to take back some of the strategic areas taken over by the Taliban.
During the call on Ghani, Afghan officials are understood to have also briefed Jaishankar on the parallel effort aimed at reviving the intra-Afghan talks with the Taliban, with a delegation headed by Abdullah Abdullah travelling to Doha next week and also a conference in Islamabad from July 17-19 where several Afghan leaders including former President Hamid Karzai and Afghan special envoy for Pakistan Mohammed Daudzai are expected to attend.
Indian officials said no meeting is scheduled or expected with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, or Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, however, who are also in Tashkent on an official bilateral visit to sign a transit trade agreement with President Shovkat Mirziyoyev, which would give Uzbekistan traders access to Karachi and Gwadar ports.
Taliban spokesperson also announced the capture of the crossing on Twitter….reports Asian Lite News
Taliban have captured one of the main border crossings with Pakistan, in southern Kandahar province, local media reported on Wednesday.
The crossing is one of Afghanistan’s busiest entry points and the main link between its southwest region and Pakistani ports. Multiple reports suggest that the group had taken down the Afghan flag from the top of the border crossing gate between the Afghan town of Wesh and the Pakistani town of Chaman.
Taliban spokesperson also announced the capture of the crossing on Twitter.
“With this, the important road and customs between Boldak and Chaman came under the control of Mujahidin, the Islamic Emirate assures all traders and residents in the town that their security will be tightened,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah tweeted in Pashto.
Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz province, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2018. The Kunduz province, as well as neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, have been the hotbeds of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to attack the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region. (Xinhua/Ajmal Kakar/IANS)
The terrorist group further stated that they will resume travel and transit on the passage once they will reach an agreement with the Pakistan side.
This comes amid a surge in violence in Afghanistan as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan security forces with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.
Last week, the Afghan government had said that the fall of key dry ports has disrupted exports and imports, imposing negative impacts on the country’s economic activities. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) stated that the Taliban have captured seven key dry ports, Ariana News reported.
The captured dry ports include the likes of the Islam Qala border and the Torghundi border towns, two trade gateways to Iran and Turkmenistan; Abu Nasr Farahi port, bordering with Iran, in Farah; Sher Khan Port in Kunduz and Ay Khanom port in Takhar, two trade gateways to Tajikistan; Aqina port in Faryab, a trade gateway to Turkmenistan; and Dand-e-Patan crossing to Pakistan in Paktia.
Commerce industry leaders have raised concerns about the collapse of the ports, stating the traders can not pay taxes to both the government and the Taliban.
“Now, if we pay taxes in two places, it will directly impact the market, and rates will climb up to two hundred times higher than now,” said Khan Jan Alokozay, Deputy Chairman of ACCI. (ANI)
The former US President’s comment comes amid a surge in violence in Afghanistan as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians…reports Asian Lite News
Former US President George W Bush has called the US drawdown from Afghanistan a “mistake” and said that the consequences of this decision, especially for Afghan women and girls, will be “unbelievably bad”.
“I am afraid, Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm,” Bush said. “The consequences will be unbelievably bad and I am said.”
Bush, who is the 43rd US President who launched the war in Afghanistan, made these remarks in an interview with German news outlet Deutsche Welle.
Answering a question on the Biden administration’s decision to pull out military, Bush said, “I think about all the interpreters that people that helped not only the US but NATO troops.”
“That is the decision that they (Biden administration) have made and I guess the country is fine with it,” he added.
US soldiers prepare to depart from Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Brian Harris Planet Pix ZUMA_dpa_IANS)
The former US President’s comment comes amid a surge in violence in Afghanistan as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan security forces with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.
Last week, President Joe Biden had said that the full drawdown of forces would be complete by the end of August and defended pulling troops from Afghanistan. He even made it clear that rebuilding the war-torn country was not the responsibility of the US.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concern with the number of reported “serious human rights abuses” and violations alleged in communities most affected by the ongoing military offensive across the country.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Wednesday said the reports of killing, ill-treatment, persecution and discrimination are widespread and disturbing, creating fear and insecurity. “Those who carry out any such acts must be held accountable.”
The UN has reiterated that parties are obliged to respect the human rights and dignity of all Afghans, especially those of women and girls who have in the past been subjected to particularly acute forms of discrimination. (ANI)
The Americans have always wondered what fuels the Taliban to fight against a huge military machine despite the odds. Though in reality this has not led to any effort to try to understand the Taliban’s psyche and their commitment, writes Asad Mirza
In a speech on July 8, US President Joe Biden announced that the American military would complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31, nearly two weeks before his earlier deadline of September 11. The US pullout from Afghanistan, will end the US longest overseas war, which cost the lives of around 2,300 troops and $825 billion monetarily, is a result of the February 2020 agreement that the former Donald Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
In his latest speech, Biden strongly defended his decision to pull US military forces out of Afghanistan, saying the Afghan people must decide their own future, rather than sacrificing another generation of Americans in an unwinnable war. Biden called on countries in the region to help bring about an elusive political settlement between the warring parties. He said the Afghan government should seek a deal with the Taliban to allow them to coexist peacefully.
And this is what has proved to be the red herring amongst the neighbouring and regional countries. Most of the countries have reacted in a guarded manner over the advances of the Taliban forces in Afghanistan since May, who now controls 162 districts in Afghanistan.
In reality the chaotic and unpredictable conditions in Afghanistan will have a significant impact on the regional geo-politics. For starters, the Iranians have started fishing in the troubled waters by inviting the Taliban leadership for talks in Tehran.
Iranian initiative
The Taliban-Iranian talks began in January this year, as part of Iranian efforts to broker peace between the Afghan government and other factions. The latest round of intra-Afghan talks began on July 7 by a speech from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who warned that the continuation of conflicts between the government and the Taliban will have “unfavourable” consequences for Afghanistan, noting that a return to the intra-Afghan negotiations is the “best solution”.
Earlier, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, had said that Taliban is part of the reality in Afghanistan and they are also talking to the Afghan government. During the recent meeting, Zarif discussed the prospect of Afghan people forming an all-inclusive government, including Taliban.
Pakistan’s alarm
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in an op-ed in The Washington Post on June 9 sounded hurt by the accusations of the government in Kabul naming Islamabad as inciting violence in the country.
He further wrote that he would like Pakistan to be “a partner for peace in Afghanistan”, which may have ideated from the Indian outreach to the Taliban.
UK’s concern
The UK it seems is more worried about the presence of Al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) elements in Afghanistan and not with the Taliban advances. Alex Younger, former head of the MI-6, has cautioned about the terrorism threat to Britain rising, following the US withdrawal and has further said the threat from terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and IS would grow if the UK turns its back on Afghanistan.
But the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Nick Carter, who served several command tours in Afghanistan, believes the Taliban leadership may have learned from their earlier mistakes. He maintains that if the Taliban expect to share power, or seize it, then they will not want to be seen as international pariahs. Wiser heads amongst the Taliban, especially those who attended the recent peace negotiations, may well argue for a clean break with Al Qaeda in order to secure international acceptance.
India’s Outreach
Indian officials recently met with the Taliban delegation in Doha. This marks a marked policy shift in India’s approach to Afghanistan and Taliban. Besides showing maturity of the policy makers and strategists, the move may accelerate the transition from a non-existent relationship to the inception of a diplomatic engagement, whilst acknowledging Taliban as a critical component of future Afghanistan.
Though Indian policy makers will also be worried about the security threat from the pro-Taliban Pakistani outfits, yet they may have weighed the advantage of engaging with the Taliban and also considered that in future the Taliban might be able to assert pressure on forces inimical to India.
India has always called for “an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process”, and as such, the strategic move to engage with Taliban broadly demonstrates a regional security imperative for India and its efforts to minimise Islamabad’s influence.
Taliban psyche: American view
The Americans have always wondered what fuels the Taliban to fight against a huge military machine despite the odds. Though in reality this has not led to any effort to try to understand the Taliban’s psyche and their commitment.
However, an American, Carter Malkasian has tried to discuss this in his new book “The American War in Afghanistan: A History”. Malkasian analyses the Taliban advantage in inspiring Afghans to fight. He opines that their call to fight foreign occupiers, steeped in references to Islamic teachings, resonates well with Afghan identity and psyche.
He says that for Afghans, jihad, more accurately understood as ‘resistance’ or ‘struggle’ than the caricatured meaning it has acquired in the US, has historically been a means of defence against oppression by outsiders, part of their endurance against invader after invader. The Taliban were able to tie them-selves to religion and to Afghan identity in a way that a government allied with non-Muslim foreign occupiers could not match.
The very presence of Americans in Afghanistan trod on a sense of Afghan identity that incorporated national pride, a long history of fighting outsiders and a religious commitment to defend the homeland. The Taliban’s ability to link their cause to the very meaning of being Afghan was a crucial factor in America’s defeat.
He further says that the Taliban exemplified something that inspired, something that made them powerful in battle, something tied to what it meant to be an Afghan. They cast themselves as representatives of Islam and called for resistance to foreign occupation. Together, these two ideas formed a potent mix for ordinary Afghans, who tend to be devout Muslims but not extremists.
Now, with the Taliban overrunning districts in the north, they will likely press their attack, further emboldened by US departure over the next few weeks. Afghan soldiers and police will suffer from the same morale problems that have plagued them for two decades. Provincial capitals and Kandahar or Mazar-e-Sharif are likely to fall, possibly within a year. After that, Kabul itself will be in danger. The capital may hold, at least for a while, but the government and its allies will struggle to survive, with little chance of regaining what has been lost.
The world it may seem is bound to sit at the same table with Taliban, once they embrace political identity and become part of the political establishment, and this may mark a peaceful future for Afghanistan.
(Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. He writes on Muslims, educational, international affairs, interfaith and current affairs. The views expressed are personal)
The government’s revenues have reduced as six customs offices have fallen to the Taliban in recent weeks….reports Asian Lite News
Afghanistan government has stopped all development projects following a reduction in revenues and escalation in security expenses, local media reported Tuesday.
Based on the decision, the budget for “optional projects” or the ones that are implemented by the government but funded by donors have been stopped, Tolo News reported citing The Finance Ministry of Afghanistan.
“The electronic identity cards and passport services, as well as the payments of civil service employees and other services by the government, will continue as normal,” said Rafiq Tabi, spokesman for the Ministry of Finance.
The government’s decision to stop all such projects has received criticised with one lawmaker censuring the administration’s delay in sending the report of its mid-year review of the budget.
“The fact that they have stopped the development projects is itself considered an achievement for the Taliban,” a university lecturer and analyst, Sayed Massoud said.
The government’s revenues have reduced as six customs offices have fallen to the Taliban in recent weeks. Analysts said the government needs to implement plans to return the development projects to normal, Tolo News reported citing sources.
Afghan’s budget for the current fiscal year is over 473 billion Afs (nearly USD 6 billion), including 311 billion Afs (USD 4 billion) for regular projects and 162 billion Afs (USD 2 billion) for the development projects.
Members of parliament attend the inauguration of the new parliament in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan
Besides, restricted development projects, violence in Afghanistan has also led to the humanitarian crises in the country, almost half of the country’s population is in need of humanitarian assistance and a third of children under five are also facing acute malnutrition.
Meanwhile, at least 10 civilians were wounded in mortar attacks in Dand district and Kandahar city on Tuesday, Tolo News reported.
Earlier in the day, at least four civilians were killed and five others suffered injuries in a blast in Kabul city.
Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence across the country as the Taliban make rapid advances and taking control of more and more territory in the war-torn country.
Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan defence and security forces as foreign forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country.
As the Taliban have taken control of several districts across the country, US intelligence assessments have suggested the country’s civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing.
Speaking in the Pakistan National Assembly on Monday, independent MNA Mohsin Dawar said the Taliban are Pakistan’s favourites in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistani lawmaker Mohsin Dawar has launched a tirade against the country’s establishment for its support to Taliban, stating that President Arif Alvi and government officials openly admit Islamabad’s role in Afghanistan and exporting terrorists to the war-torn country.
Speaking in the Pakistan National Assembly on Monday, independent MNA Mohsin Dawar said the Taliban are Pakistan’s favourites in Afghanistan.
“Taliban are exported to Afghanistan from here while the FM and President justify Amrullah Saleh’s claims about Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan with their statements. Dead bodies of Taliban fighters are brought back to Pakistan for burial. Taliban continue being supported openly,” Dawar tweeted, sharing a clip of his remarks in the National Assembly.
During his address, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Dawar criticised Pakistan President Arif Alvi for his remarks that Pakistan hopes that the Taliban and their countrymen find peace and healing. Dawar said that making such statements is like launching an attack on the neighbouring country.
“You are supporting the terror group against which Afghan forces are fighting. Dead bodies of Taliban fighters are brought back to Pakistan for burial. Taliban continue being supported openly,” he said
“When we raise the issue of Taliban terrorists being exported to Afghanistan, the Pakistan officials say that we are echoing Afghan First Vice president Amrullah Saleh’s views. However, the truth is that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and President Arif Alvi are the ones who are proving Saleh’s claims through their statements,” he added.
He said that the country’s policy towards Afghanistan had not changed. “We have paid a heavy price for our wrong policies towards Afghanistan in the past,” he said.
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“Terrorists are gathering again in the tribal districts and they are not being stopped. There is no debate in the house to prevent terrorism. It is being said that we do not support any party in Afghanistan then who is broadcasting on TV channels that Afghanistan is occupied by Taliban?” he questioned.
Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan defence and security forces as foreign forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country.
As the Taliban have taken control of several districts across the country, US intelligence assessments have suggested the country’s civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing.
Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of extending support to Taliban terrorists and providing safe haven to them.
Pakistan has denied these claims despite overwhelming evidence to prove otherwise.
Additionally, Pakistan ministers and officials, then and now, issue statements proving that Pakistan host and support the Taliban.
Recently, Pakistan interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said families of Afghanistan’s Taliban live in his country, including in the capital city of Islamabad, and sometimes the members of the insurgent outfit are treated in local hospitals. (ANI)
Marine Gen Frank McKenzie, another four-star general, took over from Miller and would operate from the central command headquarters in Tampa, Florida…reports Asian Lite News
The top commander of US troops in Afghanistan, General Austin Scott Miller, on Monday, relinquished his position during a ceremony in the country’s capital city of Kabul as the US’ two-decade-long war in Afghanistan is nearing its end and the Taliban forces continue to gain more territory. Miller has been the top commander in Afghanistan since his appointment to the role in 2018.
Marine Gen Frank McKenzie, another four-star general, took over from Miller and would operate from the central command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. He will assume command and continue the airstrikes in defence of the Afghan forces at least until the US pulls out all its troops by August 31.
During the flag-passing ceremony at the Resolute Support headquarters at the heart of Kabul, Miller remembered the US and Nato troops along with the thousands of Afghan nationals who were killed during the war. He said he told Taliban officials that “it’s important that the military sides set the conditions for a peaceful and political settlement in Afghanistan… But we know that with that violence, it would be very difficult to achieve a political settlement.”
US soldiers prepare to depart from Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Brian Harris Planet Pix ZUMA_dpa_IANS)
Hamdullah Mohib, National Security Advisor of Afghanistan, said that the withdrawal of US and Nato troops has left the Afghan forces stranded on the battlefield without resupplies, the AP reported. Mohib also expressed concerns about the lack of aircraft for supporting and resupplying the troops.
Following President Joe Biden’s earlier announcement that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, the Pentagon said that the process is 90 per cent complete. Biden said that it was the right and the responsibility of the Afghan people to decide the future of the country. “Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritising the safety of our troops as they depart,” Biden said on July 8. He said that his government would continue to provide civilian and humanitarian assistance.
The Taliban have claimed that they now control 85% of the country, which has not been verified independently, news agencies reported. The Afghan government has also strongly disputed these claims and rejected another claim that the insurgents now control more than half of the country’s 400 districts.
The officials had a meeting in Doha during Khalilzad’s visit to the countries of Central and South Asia and the Middle East…reports Asian Lite News
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani confirmed at a Monday meeting with US special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, Doha’s commitment to facilitate the inter-Afghan dialogue to achieve peace, according to a press statement.
The officials had a meeting in Doha during Khalilzad’s visit to the countries of Central and South Asia and the Middle East, as attacks by the Taliban (banned in Russia as a terrorist organisation) raged in Afghanistan.
“During the meeting, the two sides affirmed the State of Qatar’s efforts and role in mediating to achieve stability in light of the ongoing developments in the field, as well as its commitment to encourage dialogue between brothers in Afghanistan and facilitate peace talks until a just and lasting political settlement is reached in Afghanistan,” the statement read.
Last week, the US Central Command said the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan was 90% complete. At the same time, Commanding General Austin Miller warned that the country might be on the path to civil war after Washington and its allies are through pulling out their troops.
At the moment, Afghanistan is facing a standoff between government forces and the Taliban, who reportedly took over 85% of the country. Anti-terrorist operations are being conducted across Afghanistan to prevent a further takeover.
The inter-Afghan talks began in September of 2020, but the parties were unable reach an agreement on key issues, in particular on a ceasefire between the troops. (ANI/Sputnik)
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan is too hasty as soldiers leave a lot of machinery and equipment behind.
“The Americans made a lot of things to understand over the 20 years of their presence in Afghanistan, starting with the declaration of the victory of democracy and ending with such a rather hasty withdrawal, abandoning a huge amount of equipment and other equipment,” Lavrov said during a press conference.
Meanwhile, three civilians lost their lives and six others were injured in a roadside bomb blast on Monday in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Tolo News reported citing security sources.
The incident took place around 8 AM in the morning when a civilian vehicle was struck by a roadside mine in Bolan area Lashkargah city’s district 3.
The victims were taken to the emergency hospital in the city.
All the victims are members of one family who came from a district in Lashkargah city, and women and children are also among them, Tolo News reported.
Security officials have not made any remarks on the incident.
A day earlier, eleven members of the Afghan security forces lost their lives in two separate attacks that happened in the Helmand province. (ANI/Sputnik)
Vice President of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh warns Pakistan that it could pay a heavy price if it continues to provide support to Taliban, reports Asian Lite News
First Vice President of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh has said that the Taliban are guided by special units of the Pakistani army.
Saleh wrote on his Facebook page that from the organizational point of view, the Taliban are divided into three sections, the first of which is guided by Pakistan’s special anti-terrorist cells.
In part of this article, he wrote: “From an organizational point of view, the strength of the enemy is divided into three parts — The first section deals with trained personnel directly guided by special Pakistani counter-insurgency units/nuclei from Peshawar-Quetta and elsewhere. Google communication tools and maps make it very easy. The second part is the local parts that work under the name of the military commission, and they do not play many roles except by extorting money from the people and imposing parties on the local people. The third part is the recent recruits and summonses who have no morals.”
The withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan created a very immediate vacuum, “but that government forces were in order,” said Saleh.
Further, he added that if the Taliban gain more land, they will still not be able to rule the country, and the people are suffering in areas under Taliban control.
Moreover, some members of the House of Representatives said that men and women must take up arms and stand up for the preservation of the system and the achievements of the past decades.
Mir Rahman Rahmani, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said, “I ask all respected lawyers to stand bravely by your people and fight the enemy for your material and spiritual possessions.”
“Let’s unite and stand by the security forces,” said Reyhaneh Azad, a Daikundi MP.
The Members of Parliament accused the Taliban of violating the human rights of the people in a number of districts they have just reached.
“Why are the UN, human rights organizations, silent on the Afghan issue?” said Gul Ahmad Nourzad, a Nimroz MP.
Earlier, Taliban attacks on several security outposts in Ghazni city were pushed back on Sunday morning.
Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz province, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2018. The Kunduz province, as well as neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, have been the hotbeds of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to attack the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region. (Xinhua/Ajmal Kakar/IANS)
Last month, Saleh has warned Pakistan that if it continues to provide support to Taliban then it has to pay a “very high price”.
“Pakistan-as a host of the Taliban since group’s foundation could play a significant role in the peace process, and therefore become a reliable partner of the Afghan nation,” Saleh said.
According to a recent UN report, at least a dozen different militant groups are now active in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, with at least 6,500 Pakistani nationals reportedly involved.
