Category: Afghanistan

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UNSC: Taliban rule ‘emboldened’ TTP in attacking in Pakistan

The report claims that in June, some TTP fighters were relocated away from the Pak-Afghan border as a request from Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Security Council in its latest report has said that the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has “emboldened” Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan [TTP], resulting in an increase in its cross-border attacks in Pakistan.

The report also notes that there was evidence that several global terrorist entities are using the TTP as cover to evade restrictions of the Afghan Taliban, adding that greater restrictions over such groups could push them to join the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISKP). The report claims that in June, some TTP fighters were relocated away from the Pak-Afghan border as a request from Pakistan. However, the TTP could become a regional threat if it continues enjoying the patronage of the Taliban, it says, adding that “one” member states noted that TTP was being aided by Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

It also reported that the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)/Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) training camps in Kunar Province were being used for TTP fighters.

The report while quoting assessments of “some Member States” claims that Saif al-Adl, most likely to succeed Ayman al-Zawahiri, is still in Iran. It further adds that the numerical strength of the Al-Qaida Central in Afghanistan is between 30 to 60 members, while its fighters are estimated to be 400, reaching 2,000 with family members included.

Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent has approximately 200 fighters. One Member State assessed that Al-Qaida is shaping AQIS to spread its operations into Bangladesh, Kashmir, and Myanmar.

The report further notes that Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) continues to pose the most serious threat in Afghanistan and the wider region and beyond to Europe highlighting the group’s recent high-profile attacks in Afghanistan against senior Taliban leaders. It adds that Mawlawi Rajab, previously identified as ISKP leader, Shahab al-Muhajir’s deputy, has been appointed as Head of external operations of ISKP.

The report termed the claim from one State member that Sanaullah Ghafari (Shahab al-Muhajir) would have been killed in June, as “not confirmed”. The report assessed that ISKP might pursue high-impact operations against Western countries and their interests abroad in the medium term, as evidenced by a recently disrupted attack in Strasbourg, France. (ANI)

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UAE vows support to UN efforts in Afghanistan

Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE’s support for the UN Security Council-mandated Independent Assessment of the Situation in Afghanistan and its objectives….reports Asian Lite News

UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with Ambassador Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, UN-appointed Special Coordinator for the Independent Assessment of the Situation in Afghanistan.

Held in Abu Dhabi, the meeting discussed the overall situation in Afghanistan, and prospects for cooperation between the UAE and the UN in this regard. Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE’s support for the UN Security Council-mandated Independent Assessment of the Situation in Afghanistan and its objectives.

The meeting also reviewed the UAE’s initiatives aimed at supporting Afghanistan and its people across various sectors, and highlighted the importance of bolstering international cooperation to tackle the challenges facing the Afghani people, especially women, and support efforts to meet their needs.

Around the end of the meeting, the UAE top diplomat wished Ambassador Sinirlioğlu success in performing his duties, affirming the UAE’s firm commitment to backing all international efforts that seek to achieve peace, stability and prosperity for the people of Afghanistan.

Last week, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has termed the reports on the presence of the Daesh or Islamic State (IS) outfit in the country as baseless and utterly rebuffed them, according to its foreign ministry.

In a tweet on Saturday, Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said: “We reiterate that the IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) will not allow anyone to threaten the national security of Afghanistan, or use our territory against others.” 

Earlier this week, amid public protests and UN concern, the ban on women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan came into effect on Tuesday following the deadline given by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue on July 4.

Taliban, in a new verbal decree, banned women’s beauty salons in Kabul and other provinces across the country. According to the order, women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan were no longer allowed to operate after July 23.

The United Nations said that the forced closure of women’s beauty salons could have a negative impact on the economy of women. The Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq also asked the Taliban authorities to halt the mandate of closing beauty salons, TOLO News reported.

Meanwhile, beauty salon owners said that some of the women are the breadwinners for their families. Following the ban, they would not be able to support their families.

Days after the Taliban issued the decree, several women makeup artists protested against the move, urging that the order be rescinded.

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Internet services suspended in Quetta ahead of Ashura

On Muharram 7 and Muharram 9, the services will remain suspended from 9 am to 8 pm..reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of Ashura, the administration in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Wednesday suspended mobile phone and internet services in the provincial capital Quetta to maintain the law and order situation in the city, ARY News reported.

According to a statement, mobile phone and Internet services will be suspended on 7, 9, and 10 Muharram in Balochistan’s capital, Quetta, the Pakistan outlet reported. The decision was taken in response to request by Central Police Office (CPO) Balochistan, the statement read, according to ARY News.

On Muharram 7 and Muharram 9, the services will remain suspended from 9 am to 8 pm, whereas, on Muharram 10, mobile phone services will be restored after the culmination of processions.

Pakistan will observe Ashura days, Muharram 9 and 10, on July 28 and 29 in remembrance of the sacrifices made by Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions in the battle of Karbala.

Drone banned

The Sindh Home Department issued a notification imposing the ban on the use of drone cameras in Muharram processions and other religious events citing security reasons, reported ARY News.

The notification said that a complete ban has been imposed on the use of drone cameras and permission will not be granted for any kind of coverage and recordings of the Muharram processions due to security reasons. Moreover, according to ARY News, the authorities will take legal action against the violators.

Earlier, the Punjab government on Wednesday asked for the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Rangers in the province to maintain law and order during Muharram.

Additionally, the Federal Ministry of Interior decided to deploy the Pakistan Army Troops during the holy month of Muharram, ARY News reported.

Moreover, the Interior Ministry sent a circular to the provinces stating, “Army troops being deployed countrywide under Article 245.” The circular was shared with Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) government.

“The military troops being deployed on the request of the provinces for maintenance of law and order,” the ministry stated.

Furthermore, The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Sunday declared that mobile services will be temporarily banned till the 10th of Muharram (July 29) in Karachi.

The country will mark the first of Muharram, the beginning of the new Islamic year 1445 AH, this evening (July 20), which means Youm-e-Ashura will be observed on July 29 (Saturday).

Earlier, the Government of Sindh banned pillion riding on Muharram 9 and 10 under several measures taken — under Section 144 of the CrPC — to ensure the Ashura days activities continue uninterrupted, Geo News reported. (ANI)

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Religious education obligatory for all Afghans: Taliban

Since August 2021, women and girls have been banned from attending secondary education in the country. ..reports Asian Lite News

Religious education is obligatory for men and women in Afghanistan, Mohammad Hashim Shaheed Wror, General Director of the Invitation and Guidance Directorate (an independent body that determines religious policies in the Taliban regime), said, ToloNews reported on Wednesday.

Speaking at a gathering in Kabul, Wror said, “The education that we say is obligatory at every stage for both men and women is religious education, not other education.” “The history of (the necktie) is obvious in Islam. What is a tie? It is the cross. The cross looks like this. It is ordered in Shariah that you should break it and eliminate it,” he said. “The cross is a symbol of pagans. The cross is the symbol of Jesus’ martyrdom. They say Jesus was hung like this,” he added.

However, speaking at the same gathering, Taliban-appointed Minister of Higher Education, Mohammad Tahir Ahmadi, said that learning modern education is also obligatory and that the Afghans need to learn it, as per ToloNews.

Since August 2021, women and girls have been banned from attending secondary education in the country. While the de facto authorities banned women from attending universities since last December.

The previous year, on September 18, the high schools in Afghanistan opened their gates to boys whereas girls were ordered to stay at home by the Taliban.

Several human rights and education activists had urged world leaders in an open letter recently to mount diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to reopen secondary schools for girls in the war-torn country as the Taliban’s brutal regime in Afghanistan will soon complete a year in August.

World leaders, regional allies, and international organizations were urged in the letter to take serious actions to fulfil their commitments in order to promote and protect Afghan girls’ rights, especially the right to education which was snatched away from them after the Taliban-led Afghan government banned the education for girls in classes 6 and above.

Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement for women and girls. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Turkish agency sets up studios for distance education in Afghanistan

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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Kabul residents raise concerns over poor-quality medicine

Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Authority has meanwhile said that in the last month, they have destroyed 250 tons of low-quality food and medicine…reports Asian Lite News

Kabul residents have said that increase in low-quality medicine in the city is causing problems, TOLO News reported.

TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. The residents called on officials to prevent the sale of low-quality drugs. A Kabul resident, Yahya, said:  “Afghanistan’s doctors are the best and most qualified doctors in the whole world. The only problem that we have is low-quality drugs.”

“Make the quality of the medicine very high, its quality is low. When someone gets sick, they take the medicine, and they blame the doctor,” said Ibrahim, another resident of Kabul.

“If our medicine is of good quality, why should we go to Pakistan, and why should we benefit a foreign land?” said Kabul resident Gelender Shah, according to TOLO News.

Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Authority has meanwhile said that in the last month, they have destroyed 250 tons of low-quality food and medicine.

“159 tons of food and medicine were destroyed in Nangarhar on Saturday, and we also destroyed approximately eight tons of food and medicine in Khost province, and more than 300 tons of other materials are ready to be destroyed in Kabul,” said Jawed Hazhar, spokesman of the Afghanistan Food and Drug Authority, according to TOLO News.

Based on the numbers of the National Drug and Food Authority, 147 pharmacies have been closed in the capital in the past month due to the sale of low-quality drugs, high prices, and lack of night service.

Turkish help in education

Two new studios have been established by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TiKA) inside Mirac TV, a network that distributes educational and cultural content across Afghanistan, inorder to facilitate support for education in the crisis-hit country, Khaama Press reported.

Quoting Yeni Safak, a Turkish daily, the Afghan news agency reported that  the studio designs were built expressly to meet distance education criteria, taking into account the nation’s limited access to higher education and the large portion of the population lacking literacy. The project concentrates on rural Afghanistan and uses Mirac TV programmes to promote people’s access to education, which has been hindered since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

The project’s inauguration was attended by Ali Akber Zerrin, the director of the Afghan Education Institute, Arafat Deniz, the TiKA Herat coordinator, Habibullah Ferahi, and Veli Ah Behre, the manager of the Abdulvahid Behre Cultural Centre, according to Khaama Press.

Deniz, the coordinator of TIKA in Afghanistan’s Herat, emphasised during the event that education remains a top priority in the nation and that TIKA’s commitment to supporting circumstances for remote learning tackles the sector’s present difficulties.

Girls and women have been prohibited from enrolling in secondary education in Afghanistan since August 2021.

In the meantime, since last December, de facto authorities have prohibited women from enrolling in universities. The girls have been denied access to their basic human rights amid a terrible humanitarian crisis for almost two years, despite the Taliban government’s assurances that it will only be temporary. (ANI)

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Turkish agency sets up studios for distance education in Afghanistan

The previous year, on September 18, the high schools in Afghanistan opened their gates to boys whereas girls were ordered to stay at home by the Taliban…reports Asian Lite News

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TiKA) has set up the two new studios that were designed to satisfy distance education requirements, Khaama Press reported.

The two new studios inside Mirac TV, a network that broadcasts education and cultural programs across Afghanistan, is created considering the major section of the population lacking literacy and the country’s limited access to higher education, Yeni Safak, a Turkish daily newspaper reported. The project seeks to increase access to education for people by using Miraç TV programs, focusing on rural areas of Afghanistan.

Arafat Deniz, the coordinator of TiKA Herat, Habibullah Ferahi, Veli Ah Behre, the manager of the Abdulvahid Behre Cultural Centre, and Ali Akber Zerrin, the director of the Afghan Education Institute, all attended the project’s inaugural ceremony.

TiKA Herat Coordinator Deniz stressed during the occasion that education is still a top priority in the country and said that TIKA’s commitment to supporting distance education circumstances addresses the current challenges in the education sector, according to the Khaama Press.

Since August 2021, women and girls have been banned from attending secondary education in the country. While, the de facto authorities banned women from attending universities since last December.

The previous year, on September 18, the high schools in Afghanistan opened their gates to boys whereas girls were ordered to stay at home by the Taliban.

Several human rights and education activists had urged world leaders in an open letter recently to mount diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to reopen secondary schools for girls in the war-torn country as the Taliban’s brutal regime in Afghanistan will soon complete a year in August.

World leaders, regional allies, and international organizations were urged in the letter to take serious actions to fulfil their commitments in order to promote and protect Afghan girls’ rights, especially the right to education which was snatched away from them after the Taliban-led Afghan government banned the education for girls in classes 6 and above.

Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement for women and girls. (ANI)

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Afghan farmers hit hard by severe drought and harsh winter

The organization added that FAO requires USD 252.4 million to assist eight million people in Afghanistan in 2023, according to TOLO News…reports Asian Lite News

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report that severe and widespread drought and a bitterly cold winter have impacted farmers in Afghanistan, reported TOLO News.

“Severe and widespread drought, in addition to an extremely harsh winter, have impacted farmers…,” reported the Food and Agriculture Organization. Referring to Afghanistan, the FAO added that 80 percent of Afghan families are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

“With 80 percent of families dependent on agriculture for their food and income, humanitarian livelihood support is critical,” FAO added.

The FAO mentioned in a report published in 2022, “Every USD $1 spent to protect rural livelihoods saved around USD $7 in additional humanitarian assistance, generated further income for Afghan families and supplied food in local markets.”

Moreover, the organization added that FAO requires USD 252.4 million to assist eight million people in Afghanistan in 2023, according to TOLO News.

Abdul Baseer Taraki, an economist, said that since the Taliban is not recognized, there is less assistance.

“Currently, our country is not recognized, the banking system is problematic, the business is down and we are forced to accept less than 30 to 40 percent of assistance,” he said.

However, Abdul Latif Nazari, the Deputy Minister of Economy, said that the main reasons for poverty are the imposed sanctions on Afghanistan and the suspension of international assistance for infrastructural projects, reported TOLO News.

“The sanctions and freezing of Afghan assets will undoubtedly have their effects on the livelihood of the people of Afghanistan,” said Nazari.

Furthermore, in June, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report said that the estimated number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan has surged to 28.8 million from 28.3 million which was recorded at the beginning of 2023, according to TOLO News.

Livestock farmers hit by drought

Livestock farmers said that due to drought in Bamyan province of Afghanistan, animal fodder has decreased which has made agriculture, especially feeding livestock, very challenging, TOLOnews reported.

Lamenting over the challenges faced by Livestock farmers on a daily basis in the province, they said that the lack of fodder is not the only problem but the occurrence of various animal diseases has also had a bad effect on livestock farming and has reduced their income, TOLOnews said. One of the Bamiyan livestock farmers is Mohammad Kazem. He claimed that while he once kept close to 60 sheep, he is now only able to feed10 sheep.

“The drought affected me so much that I was keeping fifty or sixty sheep at that time and that was easy for me. Now that I keep ten sheep, we are in trouble. Now our children are shepherding them. I give them water from the well,” Mohammad Kazem said, according to TOLOnews.

Livestock farmers claimed that in the past, their livelihoods were supported by raising livestock, but that this is no longer possible for them.

According to livestock farmer Mohammad Alim, “Drought and persistent pests have presented people with challenges, which has reduced the number of people’s livestock year by year.”

“Eighty per cent of the people have sold their livestock because of both disease and drought,” said Mohammad Baqir, another livestock farmer, as the situation remains grim in the province.

Given that the majority of Afghans live in great poverty, it is the humanitarian organisations that have navigated the way for Afghan families to get basic amenities and have provided essential relief and services to the people.

With time, the situation of people in Afghanistan has become miserable. People continue to face food shortages, and the basic amenities to live have become a far cry for all. Moreover, the situation of women in the country has only got worse. (ANI)

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Afghan refugees stage protest in front of UNHRC office in Pakistan

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan refugees held a protest in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) office in Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad, claiming that no practical action has been taken to address their problems, ToloNews reported.

Afghan refugees also sent a letter to the UN and called for their problems to be addressed. “The main problem of the Afghans is unemployment. The Afghans who are coming from Afghanistan to Pakistan are without work,” said Hedayatullah Ahadi, a Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years.

The Taliban called for the Afghan refugees to return to the country.

“The Afghan refugees should return to their country and the Afghans who have recently gone and lack documents, they should return to their country,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

Based on official statistics, more than 1.6 million Afghans have migrated to neighbouring countries within the past nearly two years.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban’s return to power, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier in the month, 26 Afghan detainees were released from Pakistan’s jail in Quetta and returned to Afghanistan.

The Department of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan said that these Afghan nationals were detained after failing to provide legal residence permits. The detainees were returned to the country through the Spin Boldak crossing point after being released, reported Khaama Press. (ANI)

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Beauty salons banned by Taliban for violations

The ministry added that the guidelines were sent four months ago to the women’s beauty salons but were not followed by them…reports Asian Lite News

Following the ban on women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue said they were banned because they neglected to bring into effect the guidelines provided by the ministry, reported TOLO News.

The ministry added that the guidelines were sent four months ago to the women’s beauty salons but were not followed by them. According to the guidelines, there were several instructions which were supposed to be followed. Some of them were, that female make-up artists should perform prayer during prayer time and they should observe the Islamic hijab. There were many instructions regarding ablution such as, women should take ablution before taking makeup, as well as, the place for ablution should be provided in every woman’s beauty salon.

Moreover, female makeup artists were also not allowed to go to the clients’ houses, TOLO News reported.

Mohammad Akif Mahajar, a spokesman for the Ministry of Vice and Virtue said, “We have allowed them in whatever condition for several months but as they didn’t fulfil the guidelines in the letter and it was not implemented, they were closed.”

Whereas, the Union of Women’s beauty salons said that the Ministry of Vice and Virtue did not have any plan to monitor the implementation of the guideline after it was submitted to the women’s beauty salons.

They added that the order to ban the women’s beauty salons was made abruptly, according to TOLO News.

Meena Sultani, Head of the Union of Women’s beauty salons in Kabul said, “They told us and we coordinated it with the female make-up artists that tattoo should not be performed in your salons… the clients should not be without hijab and observe hijab inside your salons.”

“We are Muslim. We prayed and we took ablution. We don’t charge our clients with expensive prices,” said Wazhma, a woman’s beauty salon owner.

However, the female make-up artists said that they will follow any guidelines provided by the Taliban, but their shops should not be closed, according to TOLO News.

“They should have done a survey and checked the beauty salons and monitored who does not observe the 14 principle guidelines, and those who were not implementing it, should have been held accountable,” said Sadaf, a female make-up artist.

Mahtab, another female make-up artist said, “I call on the Islamic Emirate to give us a chance. Those who fulfil the guidelines should be allowed to work as they are the breadwinners of their families and those who don’t fulfil it, their shops should be closed.”

Furthermore, according to the Union of Female make-up artists, more than 50,000 workers who are working in around 12,000 women’s beauty salons are likely to lose their jobs if the order goes into effect, reported TOLO News. (ANI)

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Taliban-appointed official claims 152 schools lack buildings

Students in Paktika requested Taliban-appointed officials to build school buildings, adding that the lack of school buildings has impacted their education….reports Asian Lite News

As many as 152 out of 410 schools in Afghanistan’s Paktika lack buildings, TOLO News reported citing Taliban-appointed head of the Paktika Department of Education, Abdul Qayom Faroqi.

Faroqi urged international organisations to help with the construction of buildings for the schools. He said 17 schools in Paktika will be built with financial support from Japan. “17 schools will be constructed through the financial support of Japan in Paktika. A team from the ministry came here and conducted the assessment. The costs will be nearly 180 million Afs,” TOLO News quoted Faroqi as saying.

Meanwhile, students in Paktika requested Taliban-appointed officials to build school buildings, adding that the lack of school buildings has impacted their education.

Rozi Mohammad, a student, said, “If our school is delayed one day due to rain, its effect is like the cost of one year for the country.” Another student Hamidullah said they are being taught under the hot sun and cannot study properly due to wind, dust and rain.

Hamidullah, another student, said, “The students are being taught under the hot sun without a shelter. They cannot study well due to wind, dust and rain.” According to Taliban-led Paktika’s Education Department, the total number of students in Paktika is 130,000, of which 25,000 are girls.

Last week, women students in Afghanistan reiterated their request for the Taliban to reopen schools, saying they were facing an uncertain future, TOLO News reported.

Fareshta, a student, said, “We should together, men and women, improve and take Afghanistan to a position where everyone can consider us to be capable.”

The request for school buildings follows Taliban’s closure of schools for girls from grades 7 to 12.

Taliban’s policies of restricting women from public life, including from education and work, have sparked reactions at international levels, according to reports.

Further, according to the TOLO News report, Almatab Rasuli, a women’s rights activist, said, “If this process continues it will cause Afghanistan to go backwards and towards less development and a period like the middle ages will come into effect.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a new report said that the Taliban continues to restrict the rights of women and girls, TOLO News reported.

The seven-page report, which covers the period from May to June, highlighted the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women.

The report stated, “On 3 May 2023, the de facto Ministry of Public Health announced that only male medical students would be permitted to take the ‘Exit Supplementary Exam’ in order to pursue further specialized medical studies,” TOLO News reported.

It stated further that the move comes in addition to the earlier bans, preventing women from appearing in the medical school exit examinations. The added that the UNAMA recorded instances when the Taliban took measures to impose previously announced restrictions on women’s freedom of movement and participation in employment. (ANI)

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