Category: Afghanistan

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Taliban: Afghanistan needs 1500 megawatts power

While the Taliban is struggling to get recognition, Afghanistan is facing extreme challenges in power supply, despite having mass natural sources and water….reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan’s current need is 1500 megawatts of power, the Taliban-appointed Energy and Water department said while adding that up to 720 megawatts of power is being imported, TOLONews reported.

The spokesperson for the department, Hekmatullah Maiwandi, said, “In general, our domestic product is 565 megawatts of power. The whole country needs between 1,400 to 1,500 megawatts of power.” He further stated that over 500 megawatts of power are being supplied by domestic sources, particularly water dams.

The main Afghan power dams include Naghlo, Mahipar, Sarobi, Kajaki, Salma and Daronta.

“From September to May it (dam) is making rotations, after this period, water in Logar and Kabul rivers dry up. Then this station is deactivated, and we are working on repairs,” said Mumtaz Ahmad, a worker at the Mahipar dam, according to TOLONews.

In 2009, due to frequent shortages, the United States invested USD 340 million in a thermal power station in Kabul.

However, the station is not used on a regular basis because of the high fuel price.

“This thermal power station started running at the end of 2009, its overall capacity is 105 megawatts, which is usually being used during the peak time of power shortages in the winter or if the power pylons are damaged,” said Ahmad Wais Sargand, general director of the thermal power station, reported TOLONews.

While the Taliban is struggling to get recognition, Afghanistan is facing extreme challenges in power supply, despite having mass natural sources and water.

One of the reasons behind this challenge is that most of its electricity is imported from neighbouring countries, especially Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on Monday said that all the airports in the war-torn nation were currently operational.

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that 20 foreign flights are using the country’s airfields daily, reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Transportation and Aviation Institute, the acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Hamidullah Akhundzada stressed the need for Afghanistan to be self-sufficient, the ministry said on Twitter.

“Thirty students were sent to Uzbekistan to get educated in the development of the aviation industry,” the Ministry said.

International and domestic flights were halted in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021.

Service have gradually resumed after engagement between the Taliban government and some regional countries. (ANI/IANS)

ALSO READ: All airports in Afghanistan get operational

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Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary

A member of Taliban stands guard at a security checkpoint in Kandahar city, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua/IANS)

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defense select committee, warned that the Taliban were still hunting Afghan workers who aided Western forces…reports Asian Lite News

Afghans who worked for the UK military and who are at risk of Taliban reprisal attacks are being refused sanctuary in the UK, The Independent reported.

The revelations are part of an investigation by the newspaper into Britain’s relocation policies regarding Afghan military personnel who aided UK forces.

The Independent’s latest report found that former mechanics, laborers and chefs are being rejected by the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme because they fail to classify as having served in frontline roles alongside British troops.

But that distinction is not recognized by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, with the former staff and contractors facing revenge attacks as a result of their work for British forces.

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defense select committee, warned that the Taliban were still hunting Afghan workers who aided Western forces.

He said: “I don’t believe the Taliban share the same criteria. They gained access to databases of all local Afghans who were assisting ISAF forces and local Taliban continue to hunt them down for execution. Each case should be judged on its own merit.”

Some of the Afghans who aided the UK war effort and who fled to the UK in the wake of the Taliban takeover have appealed to the government to help their former colleagues still trapped in Afghanistan.

But Armed Forces Minister James Heappey has said that the government has no intention of expanding the ARAP criteria to include former non-frontline staff and contractors.

An Afghan mechanic who repaired troop carriers and armored vehicles during the conflict was rejected by the scheme last year, but is now appealing the decision through a judicial review.

He was left jobless when British troops pulled out of the country, and later worked for NGOs and as a contractor for private military forces.

But following the Taliban takeover, the man was forced into hiding, with his former colleagues demanding that the UK grant him sanctuary through the ARAP scheme.

A former British Army adviser and colleague of the mechanic told The Independent: “We are trying to do our best for him and his family but he is in a very bad situation. A lot of people are being disappeared and he is all the time hiding himself because many people know that he worked with the British Army.

“Lots of people in the same situation applied for ARAP. I don’t know why ARAP just rejected his case.”

The mechanic’s solicitor, Stephanie Alban, who is challenging the decision, said: “His life is in danger so I thought they would deal with it in days and not weeks. He is in hiding and he has been moving to avoid the Taliban.

“People in the local area would know that he worked for the British. He’s on their record so they will be looking for him and targeting him. It feels like these employees have just been forgotten. You shouldn’t have to do judicial reviews just to get a simple decision on a straightforward case.”

Other Afghan personnel denied by the ARAP scheme have said that they were still exposed to danger and risk despite not serving in frontline combat roles.

ALSO READ-Taliban planning to relocate refugees alongside Durand Line

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All airports in Afghanistan get operational

Photo taken on Sept. 13, 2021 shows soldiers guarding at the Kabul airport in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua/IANS)

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that 20 foreign flights are using the country’s airfields daily…reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on Monday said that all the airports in the war-torn nation were currently operational.

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that 20 foreign flights are using the country’s airfields daily, reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Transportation and Aviation Institute, the acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Hamidullah Akhundzada stressed the need for Afghanistan to be self-sufficient, the ministry said on Twitter.

“Thirty students were sent to Uzbekistan to get educated in the development of the aviation industry,” the Ministry said.

International and domestic flights were halted in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021.

Service have gradually resumed after engagement between the Taliban government and some regional countries.

Return of refugees

A total of 2,106 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland from neighbouring Iran on Saturday, Afghanistan’s Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

“A total of 2,106 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland Afghanistan on Saturday after years of living as refugees in Iran, and the process of returning the refugees to their country continues”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement.

Previously on May 31, the ministry also reported the return of nearly 2,800 Afghan refugees from Iran.

Nearly 60,000 Afghan refugees have reportedly returned home from Iran since January.

More than 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees reportedly have been living in Iran and about the same number of Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan.

The Afghan caretaker government has been calling upon Afghan refugees living abroad to return home and contribute to the reconstruction process of their war-ravaged country.

Arms, ammunition seized

Afghan security forces have seized a significant quantity of arms and ammunition during search operations in the eastern Kapisa province, said a news release of the National Defense Ministry on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the personnel of the national army launched operations in the Nijrab district on Friday and discovered arms and ammunition, including an 82 mm caliber anti-tank gun, two stocks of AK-47, 14 pieces of hand grenades and four pieces of anti-personnel mines, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statement.

In a similar operation, the security forces apprehended three criminals in the northern Balkh province and discovered arms and ammunition.

The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to collect arms and ammunition from anyone living outside security organs.

According to officials, the security forces have rounded up thousands of arms and ammunition, including tanks, missiles and armored vehicles since the Taliban came to power in August 2021.

ALSO READ: HRW: Taliban escalate repression of Afghan women, girls

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Taliban planning to relocate refugees alongside Durand Line

Asadullah Nadim, a military analyst, stressed that the shifting of people will cause integration of population….reports Asian Lite News

Taliban is planning to relocate the refugees settled alongside the Durand Line to other provinces in Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the decision has been taken to assure Pakistan that refugees are not involved in attacks against the Pakistani government. “To give a general assurance, the Islamic Emirate planned to take the refugees, who come from the other side of the Durand Line in Khost and Kunar provinces, to far provinces, so that they will be away from the (Durand) line,” TOLO News quoted Zabiullah Mujahid as saying.

The Norwegian Refugee Council in 2014 revealed that the Pakistan military operation in North Waziristan District resulted in displacement of thousands of civilians into Afghanistan, particularly into Khost and Paktika provinces, TOLO News reported. In 2019, the NRC estimated that approximately 72,000 refugees remain and most of them live in Gulan Refugee Camp close to Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khost.

In a report published on October 5, 2019, the Norwegian Refugee Council said, “While many of these refugees have since returned – it is estimated that approximately 72,000 refugees remain, the majority living in Gulan Refugee Camp close to the internationally recognized border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Khost.”

“In addition, cross-border clashes around the Durand Line in May 2019 displaced a further 750 families from North Waziristan into Khost as well as over 400 refugee families who had been previously residing in Paktika,” it added.

Asadullah Nadim, a military analyst, stressed that the shifting of people will cause integration of population. Nadim said that the decision will not benefit the people and the region.

“Even if it is the shifting of Pakistani Taliban, or if it is shifting of the displaced refugees alongside the Durand Line, it will cause integration of the population. According to their definition, the far areas are those areas without Pashtuns. In both cases it’s not benefiting the people and region,” TOLO News quoted Asadullah Nadim as saying.

Earlier in May, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar urged the Taliban to address the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) resurgence, TOLO News reported. She said that the engagement with the interim government in Afghanistan is “preconditioned” on the issue of TTP.

“The engagement with the Afghan interim government which is currently in Afghanistan is preconditioned on this issue (TTP). They have told us that they believe the blood of Pakistanis should not be poured but this has only been at a level of speech. They should prove some of the things because we have the ability to counter the TTP,” Hina Rabbani Khar said.

The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with Pakistan government in November last year. Since then, the outfit has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering Afghanistan. As per the TOLO News report, Khar’s statements come after Taliban official Bilal Karimi denied the presence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan. (ANI)

ALSO READ: HRW: Taliban escalate repression of Afghan women, girls

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UN bodies sound alarm over food shortages in Pakistan, Afghanistan

According to the report, more than 8.5 million people in Pakistan are likely to face acute food insecurity between September and December 2023….reports Asian Lite News

Two United Nations bodies Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have foreseen acute food insecurity in Pakistan that is likely to further exacerbate in the coming months, if the economic and political crisis further worsens. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been declared “early warning hotspots,” Khaama Press reported.

Warnings on Pakistan and Afghanistan have been issued in a report jointly published by the FAO and the WFP from June to November, Noman Hossain, Freelance Journalist, said in the Khaama Press report. The WFP in the report said, “Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern, and the warning is also extended to Myanmar in this edition.”

It further said, “All these hotspots have a high number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months.”

In addition to political turmoil, Pakistan’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial bailout has been delayed for the past seven months. Pakistan has to pay USD 77.5 billion over the next three years, Khaama Press report. The repayment amount is “substantial” keeping in view Pakistan’s GDP of USD 350 billion in 2021.

The report said, “The political crisis and civil unrest are likely to worsen ahead of general elections scheduled for October 2023, amid growing insecurity in the northwest of the country. A shortage of foreign reserves and a depreciating currency are diminishing the country’s ability to import essential food items and energy supplies and increasing food items’ prices besides causing nationwide energy cuts.”

More than 8.5 million people in Pakistan are likely to face acute food insecurity between September and December 2023. 70 per cent of people in Afghanistan do not get two proper meals a day. Economic and political crises are reducing households’ buying power and ability to purchase food and other essential goods, Khaama Press reported.

The report also said that the coal and food export revenues could witness a decline if the economic and political crisis in Pakistan and the security situation in border areas continue to deteriorate.

Afghanistan has become insular after the Taliban assumed power in August 2021. The international community has not recognised the Taliban-led government. Meanwhile, instability in Pakistan has worsened the economy since lawmakers, the judiciary and the army continue to clash with each other.

Amid the ongoing political situation in the country, Pakistan does not have the money to secure food imports on ships anchored at its ports. It has led to shortages of basic necessities like wheat flour.

In March-April, the Pakistan government set up distribution sites across the country to provide free flour to people to ease their burden amid rising prices. However, the initiative caused trouble in several places where the stampedes erupted, killing and injuring people, Khaama Press reported citing The Diplomat journal.

Mariyam Suleman Anees, a development specialist from Gwadar, Balochistan province, wrote, “Pakistanis are putting their lives at risk to collect something as basic as a sack of flour. It illustrates how the rising cost of food and other necessities is driving desperation and impacting the masses,” Noman Hossain said in the Khaama Press report.

Anees raised questions about the stampedes and how Pakistan ended up here. She even asked about how the economic crisis could affect most of the people in Pakistan, particularly international projects, especially those with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Pakistan considers vital for its future economic growth?”

As per the Khaama Press report, Mariyam Suleman Anees further said, “Instead of the promised economic growth through CPEC, China’s loans may have worsened Pakistan’s economic crisis. But it is still too early to conclude whether CPEC debts will drain the Pakistani economy or open up opportunities for growth in the future.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: UN to hold meeting on Afghanistan: UAE envoy

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UN to hold meeting on Afghanistan: UAE envoy

UAE Ambassador Fraidoon Oglu said that the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Affairs will provide a comprehensive report regarding the situation of Afghanistan to the Security Council…reports Asian Lite News

United Arab Emirates’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lana Nusseibeh said that they will hold a comprehensive meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on June 21, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported. She stated that the cooperation of the Security Council members on Afghanistan should be maintained.

Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and President of the Security Council said, “We will hold a comprehensive meeting on Afghanistan’s situation on June 21,” Khaama Press reported. Nusseibeh further said, “Our focus will be concentrated on Afghanistan’s situation, women’s rights in particular, over which all the members of the Security Council have agreed.” On Thursday, UAE envoy Lana Nusseibeh said that the UN Security Council will continue working on the issues of Afghanistan and the rights of women in particular, Khaama Press reported.

UAE Ambassador Fraidoon Oglu said that the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Affairs will provide a comprehensive report regarding the situation of Afghanistan to the Security Council in November this year. Notably, the United Arab Emirates has assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for a month.

Several US Senators proposed a bill to sanction the Taliban in response to human rights violations in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported citing Fox News report.

Ever since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the group has systematically repressed women, youth and minority groups, the report said. Thousands of women have stayed at home since colleges and schools stopped accepting female students, and there are restrictions on the work that women and girls can do in local and international NGOs.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has said that on the one hand, the Taliban continues to beg for recognition and foreign help, while on the other, they escalate repression of Afghan women and girls, Khaama Press reported.

Taking to Twitter, the associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch wrote, “that the Taliban are reluctant for meaningful talks.”

Barr stated on Twitter that she does not believe the meeting indicates the Taliban’s willingness to engage with the international community, Khaama Press reported. She believes this topic has only been highlighted primarily during a meeting between a senior Qatari official and Hebatullah Akhundzada, whatsoever.

Previously, the Taliban spokesperson stated that Mullah Hassan Akhund had asked Qatari authorities to play a significant role in developing confidence between Afghanistan and the international community at a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, as per the Afghan news agency. Despite Qatar’s ties with the Taliban, Doha has criticised the Taliban’s gender policies targeting women. (ANI)

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More Afghan refugees return home

Nearly 60,000 Afghan refugees have reportedly returned home from Iran since January…reports Asian Lite News

A total of 2,106 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland from neighbouring Iran on Saturday, Afghanistan’s Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

“A total of 2,106 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland Afghanistan on Saturday after years of living as refugees in Iran, and the process of returning the refugees to their country continues”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement.

Previously on May 31, the ministry also reported the return of nearly 2,800 Afghan refugees from Iran.

Nearly 60,000 Afghan refugees have reportedly returned home from Iran since January.

More than 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees reportedly have been living in Iran and about the same number of Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan.

The Afghan caretaker government has been calling upon Afghan refugees living abroad to return home and contribute to the reconstruction process of their war-ravaged country.

ALSO READ: Pakistan initiates barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran & Russia

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‘Over 2.5 mn Afghan girls denied education’

Afghan students attend school in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, March 20, 2022. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua/IANS)

The US Special envoy raised concerns at the Human Rights Council meeting, and said that there is urgent need for girls’ education in Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News

More than 2.5 million girls are deprived of education in Afghanistan, US Special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights Rina Amiri said, pointing towards the plight of females in the war-torn country.

The US Special envoy raised her concerns on Friday at the Human Rights Council meeting, and said that there is urgent need for girls’ education in Afghanistan. Amiri said, “Every single girl deserves to access quality education.”

Due to the Taliban’s oppressive attitudes towards women and girls, secondary institutions and universities in Afghanistan that accepted female students were forced to close.

Afghan women are not allowed to work for UN agencies or international assistance groups as part of the most recent wave of restrictions, which sparked global outcry.

Since the Taliban seized control once again in August 2021, the group has consistently placed restrictions on women and girls, preventing them from participating in public life, employment, or education.

Taliban leaders have not only disregarded international calls for women and girls to be given access to education and employment. Apparently, they have also issued warnings to other nations not to meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.

Recently, Human Rights Watch has said that on the one hand, the Taliban continues to beg for recognition and foreign help, while on the other, they escalate repression of Afghan women and girls.

Taking to Twitter, the associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch wrote, “that the Taliban are reluctant for meaningful talks.” Barr stated on Twitter on Wednesday that she does not believe the meeting indicates the Taliban’s willingness to engage with the international world. She believes this topic has only been highlighted primarily during a meeting between a senior Qatari official and Hebatullah Akhundzada.

Previously, the Taliban spokesperson stated that Mullah Hassan Akhund, the group’s acting deputy prime minister, had asked Qatari authorities to play a significant role in developing confidence between Afghanistan and the international community at a meeting with his Qatari counterpart.

Despite Qatar’s strong relationship with the Taliban, Doha has criticised the Taliban’s gender policies targeting women.

Since the takeover, thousands of women have stayed at home since colleges and schools stopped accepting female students, and there are restrictions on the work that women and girls can do in local and international NGOs.

However, some women and girls have started working, such as by picking up trades or other commercial endeavours, in order to make money.

Kids forced to work in brick kilns

Economic challenges have forced children in Kabul to work in brick factories.

The children asked the Taliban to address the economic problems of their families and provide an education for them, the Afghan news channel reported.

A child labourer working in the factory, Roshan, said: “In other countries, children are studying but here we cannot, so we call on the government to provide an education for us.”

“Our future is destroyed. We are all children working here in this brick factory,” said Feroz, aother child labourer working in the factory.

Sujad, 11, is working in a brick factory in the Deh Sabz district of Kabul and said that because of economic challenges, he has to work with his father.

“My father is sick, and we work here morning until night, we call on the government to help us,” said Sujad.

“We call on the Taliban to allow girls to study and to become doctors,” said Zarena, sister of Sujad.

“My father is sick and cannot support our family, and we ask the Islamic Emirate to provide education for us so we can serve our country,” said Merwis, a brother of Sujad.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s Ministry of Economics said that efforts are underway to provide education for children with the cooperation of foreign organizations.

“We are trying to provide education with the cooperation of foreign organizations so they can have an important role in the progress of their country,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Ministry of Economy under the caretaker Taliban regime.

The United Nations reported that 28 million people in Afghanistan need help and among them, 6 million are faced with famine. (ANI)

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HRW: Taliban escalate repression of Afghan women, girls

Despite Qatar’s strong relationship with the Taliban, Doha has criticised the Taliban’s gender policies targeting women….reports Asian Lite News

Human Rights Watch has said that on the one hand, the Taliban continues to beg for recognition and foreign help, while on the other, they escalate repression of Afghan women and girls, Khaama Press reported.

Taking to Twitter, the associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch wrote, “that the Taliban are reluctant for meaningful talks.” Barr stated on Twitter on Wednesday that she does not believe the meeting indicates the Taliban’s willingness to engage with the international world. She believes this topic has only been highlighted primarily during a meeting between a senior Qatari official and Hebatullah Akhundzada, whatsoever, Khaama Press reported.

Previously, the Taliban spokesperson stated that Mullah Hassan Akhund, the group’s acting deputy prime minister, had asked Qatari authorities to play a significant role in developing confidence between Afghanistan and the international community at a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, as per the Afghan news agency.

Despite Qatar’s strong relationship with the Taliban, Doha has criticised the Taliban’s gender policies targeting women.

Since the takeover, Taliban leadership has consistently issued severe decrees restricting Afghan women and girls’ access to education and employment, reported Khaama Press.

Thousands of women have stayed at home since colleges and schools stopped accepting female students, and there are restrictions on the work that women and girls can do in local and international NGOs.

However, some women and girls have started working, such as by picking up trades or other commercial endeavours, in order to make money.

Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021 after the US exit from the country, women are not allowed to work in the fields of education with domestic and international organisations, in gyms, or in public spaces.

Women who sell second-hand clothes in Afghanistan’s Kunduz complain about the bad economic situation and ask the Taliban to provide them with training and jobs, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

“If they provided work, or a tailoring workshop, we would be happy. Why not tailoring? It is good and has a good income,” said a seller, Marina. “There is no income from our work. We come here but there is no work to do. The work situation is so bad, we want good work that has a good income,” said Naziya, another seller.

“I have been a tenant for 23 years, I am a widow, I am sick, I am not receiving treatment, I have a sick child, he cannot work, these are my problems,” said Khasiyat Mah, a clothes seller, as per TOLO News.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s head of the information and culture department of Kunduz said that if when the cases of these women are reviewed they are considered deserving, help will be provided to them.

“Needy people in our province, if they are women or children, are investigated and eligible people are registered. After that, they will be helped,” said Matiullah Rohani.

According to United Nations reports, after the restrictions on women’s work in NGOs and broader restrictions on women’s rights, many women are jobless.

Meanwhile, in the face of Taliban prohibitions on employment, a group of Afghan women and girls in the province of Herat have established a kitchen and started a catering business to support themselves, TOLOnews reported.

They set up this kitchen in their home and offer their clients daily food.

“Women are banned from working out of the house, we planned to be at home and have activities, so we started making Afghan traditional food,” said the head of the kitchen, Manizha Sadat.

Several women and girls have repeatedly called out the de-facto authorities to provide them with work outside their houses, however, the Taliban has continued with its curbs on women in Afghanistan. (ANI)

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US Senators propose tough sanctions against Taliban

The report also said that all transactions involving Taliban-owned property would be blocked and outlawed…reports Asian Lite News

Several Republican Senators in the US have proposed a bill that would subject the Taliban to severe new sanctions in response to its human rights violations in Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.

TOLO News is an Afghan news channel. This comes nearly two years after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

As per the bill, President Joe Biden must impose sanctions on the Taliban for their involvement in terrorism, drug trafficking, and violations of women’s rights, Fox News reported.

The report also said that all transactions involving Taliban-owned property would be blocked and outlawed, and any visas or other entry-permitting documents would be rendered invalid.

Senator Jim Risch told Fox News: “Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, the Taliban has repressed Afghanistan’s women, minorities, and youth, diverted aid from Afghans in desperate need, taken hostages to achieve political gain, and allowed Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists again. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration’s response has failed to curtail Taliban abuses.”

The bill outlines several requirements the Taliban authorities must satisfy to avert more sanctions.

According to Khaama Press, this entails cutting links with all terrorist outlets, allowing humanitarian organizations full access to their territory to care for its most vulnerable residents, enabling residents to leave their territory, and recognizing human rights, women’s rights, and press freedom.

The Taliban has since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, restricted women’s rights, including education and employment.

Meanwhile, the Taliban authorities reiterated that their government had completed the conditions for recognition.

Taliban: Sanctions are ‘cruel’

Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, during a meeting with family members of the 18 Afghan migrants who died while being smuggled into Bulgaria, called the sanctions imposed by foreign countries cruel, reported TOLO News.

Muttaqi said, “The world countries should listen, they should not pursue their cases under the pretext that these people are being harmed here. They should not damage the Afghan academic figures. They should not evacuate them from Afghanistan.” A family of a victim who was seeking to enter Bulgaria illegally was interviewed by TOLO News, an Afghanistan-based news network.

28-year-old Nai, was among the 18 Afghan refugees who succumbed in a container while in Bulgaria. Naim was a farmer and only had basic education.

Naim’s father said, “He said ‘prepare yourself.’ I asked him ‘what for?’ He told me ‘our brother has been martyred but we did not tell you.”

Naim’s brother said, “The reason was that he was unemployed and there was no work in Afghanistan. All the people are forced to leave, and they leave the country due to this.”

According to relatives of Naim, he left the country due to severe economic conditions and unemployment.

“He called me one day and said that I made by decision and I am going to Turkey and France. Bring me USD 200. I told him, one my sons is in France, I will tell him…..This was his last word, I did not give him money,” said a relative of Naim, reported TOLO News.

Meanwhile, the acting foreign minister said that Afghanistan is a home for all Afghans, adding that “if someone likes the government or not, he/she has the right to live in this country — invest in business and live a dignified life.”

The bodies of these 18 Afghan refugees were returned to Afghanistan on Tuesday, TOLO News reported. (ANI)

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