Tag: AFGHANS

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Afghans complain lack of work, poverty under Taliban

Taliban fighters are seen on a military vehicle in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 17, 2021. (Str/Xinhua/IANS)

Ghulam Hazrat is busy finding some food for his family in Kabul. He said that he has a family of five people and called “unemployment” a problem…reports Asian Lite News

Some of the people in Afghanistan have complained about a lack of work and increased poverty in the country, Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported.

People urged the Taliban and aid organizations to address their problems.

Ghulam Hazrat is busy finding some food for his family in Kabul. He said that he has a family of five people and called “unemployment” a problem.

Hazrat said, “I am the head of my family of five people, unemployment is a problem, this is the machine I work with, there are many economic problems, I am the breadwinner of the family, there is no one to help me, I come from morning to evening and work,” according to Tolo News report.

Abdul Ghafar, a Kabul resident, said that youth should be provided work in Afghanistan. Ghafar said, “Our wish is that work should be provided for the youth in the country, and young poor people in the country can find work.”

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) in its report said that nine out of ten families in Afghanistan do not have access to food. Abdul Nasir Reshtia, an economist, said that Afghanistan should resolve their political problems with the world.

“We should solve our political problems with the world, the interactions should be increased, and Afghanistan will be recognized so that once again we will see the resumption of aid from the international community in the field of economic aid and development projects,” Tolo News quoted Abdul Nasir Reshtia as saying.

Meanwhile, the Taliban-led Ministry of Economy said they are trying to encourage the international community to focus aid on infrastructure projects. The ministry said that the move will reduce poverty in Afghanistan, according to Tolo News report.

Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Taliban-led Ministry of Economics, said, “The more Afghanistan’s economic infrastructure is strengthened, the more we will overcome poverty, and our effort is to encourage the aid of the international community towards infrastructure and development projects.”

Earlier in July, educated unemployed youth raised concerns over the lack of work in Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to provide jobs, Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported.

Fardin, 26, who has graduated from the law and political sciences faculty, said that unemployment has frustrated him. He further said that he will inevitably leave Afghanistan if the situation continues.

Fardin, an unemployed youth said, “I studied for 16 years and nobody thinks about us. If the situation continues like this and nobody hears us, we are obliged to leave the country,” Tolo News reported.

Another unemployed youth named Mer Kamal said, “I studied for 16 years but now I am jobless because there are no job opportunities in Afghanistan.” (ANI)

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UK begins inquiry into army’s ‘unlawful killings’ of Afghans

The independent inquiry, which Defence Secretary Ben Wallace commissioned, will also review whether the deaths were part of a wider pattern of extrajudicial killings by British forces in Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News

The government has officially launched an independent inquiry into allegations that British armed forces carried out dozens of extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013.

The inquiry, which was first announced in December, will also investigate whether the UK military adequately investigated allegations of unlawful killings of civilians by British forces.

The government ordered the inquiry after lawyers brought legal challenges on behalf of the families of eight Afghans who were allegedly killed by British special forces during night-time raids.

“It is clearly important that anyone who has broken the law is referred to the relevant authorities for investigation,” the inquiry’s leading senior judge, Charles Haddon-Cave, said on Wednesday.

“Equally, those who have done nothing wrong should rightly have the cloud of suspicion lifted from them,” he said. “This is critical, both for the reputation of the armed forces and the country.”

The independent inquiry, which Defence Secretary Ben Wallace commissioned, will also review whether the deaths were part of a wider pattern of extrajudicial killings by British forces in Afghanistan.

The families of the victims welcomed the inquiry last year.

“We live in hope that those responsible will one day be held to account,” a member of the Noorzai family, one of the families involved in the case, said at the time.

“Over 10 years ago, I lost two of my brothers, my young brother-in-law and a childhood friend, all boys with a life ahead of them,” the family member said. “I was handcuffed, beaten and interrogated outside our family home by British soldiers.

“My relatives and friend were each shot in the head as they sat drinking tea.”

A member of the Saifullah family added that they were “extremely happy that there are people who value the loss of life of my family, of Afghans, enough to investigate”.

Speaking on Wednesday, Tessa Gregory, partner at the law firm Leigh Day, said her clients looked forward to helping the investigative team “as they seek to establish the truth, which has been hidden for too long”.

“Throughout years of secrecy and cover-ups, our clients have fought tirelessly for justice for their loved ones’ deaths, and they hope that a bright light will now be shone on the practices and command of UK special forces in Afghanistan,” she said.

The law firm said Ministry of Defence documents showed officers had widespread knowledge about unlawful killings by UK special forces in Afghanistan but did not report the information to military police.

Separately, a BBC investigation last year alleged that one Special Air Service (SAS) unit may have killed dozens of people, including unarmed civilians, in Helmand province from 2010 to 2011 during “kill or capture” raids to detain Taliban commanders and disrupt bomb-making networks.

The military chain of command concealed concerns about the unit, the BBC reported.

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Gen. McColl slams govt for ‘abandoning’ Afghans

Gen. McColl urged the Defence Select Committee to investigate the Afghan Relocations and Assistant Policy scheme, stating it is not fit for purpose…reports Asian Lite News

A British general who served in Afghanistan has condemned the UK government for abandoning Afghans who worked with NATO in the country, saying the UK should “feel deeply ashamed.”

Hundreds of Afghans who worked with allied forces over the course of the 20-year war, and are eligible to come to the UK, remain in hiding following the reinstatement of Taliban rule after last year’s withdrawal of Western troops.

Gen. John McColl told the BBC he wanted to tell Prime Minister Boris Johnson directly: “We made a commitment to look after these people, you made a commitment.

“You are not delivering on that commitment, so put a system in place that does deliver on it. It is an appalling situation; delays have been going on over nine months as there is no system adequate to deal with the number and complexity of the applications. These delays are inexcusable and there is absolutely no reason why the government does not have this in place.”

Hundreds of thousands of people fled Afghanistan after the Taliban retook power last year, but with the Home Office having said it would provide up to 20,000 Afghans safe routes to resettle in the UK, the Ministry of Defence said just 9,000 people and their dependents had so far been relocated.

Gen. McColl urged the Defence Select Committee to investigate the Afghan Relocations and Assistant Policy scheme, stating it is not fit for purpose.

Asked on the BBC’s flagship political “Newsnight” program if it was reasonable to expect delays given the war in Ukraine, the general said there was no excuse, claiming it was clear the resources were available to process these applications.

He added: “The government should feel deeply ashamed – as do I.”

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Prince William ‘frustrated’ that Britain unable to rescue more Afghans

The remainder are staying in hotels, which activists have warned are not fit for long-term stays by families who may be struggling with physical or mental health issues…reports Asian Lite News.

Prince William has told Afghan refugees that he is “frustrated” that British troops were unable to evacuate more people fleeing the Taliban, The Times has reported.

During a visit last month to a hotel to meet Afghan refugees who were awaiting rehoming in the UK, he also asked refugees and volunteers why it was taking so long to find permanent homes for the 15,000 Afghans evacuated in August.

One of the refugees that the prince met during his visit told The Times: “He said he was frustrated at the withdrawal effort in August. He said he wished we could have brought more people to the UK.”

Another said: “He asked us: ‘Why is it taking so long to get into permanent homes?’”

The prince, who is heir to the British throne, also reportedly told refugees that he “wanted the wider country to be more supportive towards refugees.”

He was also said to be curious as to the nature of the “new” Taliban, and whether the group had changed.

Responding to that question, refugee Hussain Saeedi Samangan, who worked as a political secretary at the British Embassy in Kabul, told him: “No. We know what the Taliban wants, we know they have not changed and that we couldn’t trust them.”

Four months since the fall of Kabul and the chaotic NATO evacuations, 4,000 of the 15,000 evacuees taken in by Britain have been placed in long-term accommodation.

The remainder are staying in hotels, which activists have warned are not fit for long-term stays by families who may be struggling with physical or mental health issues.

Local councils, working with the government to rehome the refugees, say they have little housing stock available to offer Afghans — a problem exacerbated by the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers via the English Channel.

Many of those Channel arrivals are children, so their rehoming has taken priority over Afghan refugees.

The size of Afghan families, averaging seven members, is said to represent an additional hurdle for local authorities, which have few houses available with enough space for larger families.

A government spokesperson said: “We helped over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan, and are proud to have provided homes for more than 4,000 Afghan evacuees, with over 300 local authorities pledging their support so far.

“We will continue to work in partnership with local authorities and the private rented sector to secure permanent homes for Afghan families, rightly taking the appropriate time and effort to find families homes that suits their needs and offer long-term security.”

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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Afghans stage 2nd protest against Pakistan in Delhi

On August 15, the Taliban had captured the entire Afghanistan except the Panjshir valley. Although, a few days later the Taliban claimed that it had captured the Panjshir valley as well…reports Asian Lite News.

Afghan nationals living in India have been opposing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan since August 15. Afghan residents in south Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area on Tuesday afternoon staged a massive protest against Pakistan for the second time this week, demanding that it stop meddling in Afghanistan’s affairs. Earlier, on September 10 also, Afghan citizens had staged a protest against Pakistan.

According to them, Taliban is nothing without the tacit support of Pakistan which has helped in breeding them. Taliban does not represent the Afghan people but is controlled by Pakistan. If a Taliban terrorist dies, Pakistan’s identity proof is recovered from his pocket.

Mustafa Ansari, an Afghan national living in Delhi for the last five years, told IANS, “We are staging protests against Pakistan because it is interfering in our country’s national affairs and lending its support to the Taliban.”

“We haven’t received any help till now, the world knows that Pakistan conducted air strikes in the Panjshir province of Afghanistan and it does not have the jurisdiction to interfere in a foreign country’s national issues.”

He said the situation in Afghanistan is not good. After speaking to our family members in Afghanistan, we came to know that they are not able to go outside their home. We have already experienced the horror under the control of Taliban.

On August 15, the Taliban had captured the entire Afghanistan except the Panjshir valley. Although, a few days later the Taliban claimed that it had captured the Panjshir valley as well.

Another Afghan citizen protesting against Pakistan told IANS, “After the fall of the democratic Afghan government, a new Taliban government has come to power that is why we are protesting. Innocent civilians are being killed as well as continuous attacks are being carried out in the Panjshir valley.

On September 7 after capturing Panjshir valley, the Taliban announced an interim government in Afghanistan. However, Afghan nationals living in India are angry over the new Taliban government controlling Afghanistan and have launched protests.

India’s approach to Kabul will be guided by friendship: Shringla

“Our long-standing investment in the people of Afghanistan has earned us tremendous goodwill and cemented the civilisational bond between our two countries,” Shringla said

India on Tuesday said its civilizational bond with Afghanistan and friendship with Afghan people will continue to guide its approach towards the war-ravaged country in the future

“As a neighbouring country of Afghanistan, we are naturally concerned about the developments within that country and their external repercussions. India has a civilisational relationship with the Afghan people and those long-standing links guided and will continue to guide our approach,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said in his remarks at the virtual symposium on ‘Glancing Back, Gazing Beyond: Understanding Afghanistan.’

Talking about UNSC resolution 2593, he said it unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The Foreign Secretary added the resolution also sets expectations on safe passage and secure departure of Afghans and all foreign nationals from Afghanistan.

“There is recognition of the need to uphold human rights, including of women and minorities, and to encourage all parties for an inclusive, negotiated political settlement. There is reaffirmation for responding to the desire of Afghans to sustain and build on Afghanistan’s gains over the last twenty years,” he said.

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India opens doors for Afghan Sikhs and Hindus

The Foreign Ministry also stated that India also stands for Afghans who have been partners in the promotion of mutual development, reports Asian Lite News

India is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday asserting that the country will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan.

The ministry also stated that India also stands for Afghans who have been partners in the promotion of mutual development.

Commenting on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “The security situation in Kabul has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. It is changing rapidly even as we speak.”

He said that the government has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan.

“We have been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of Indian nationals in that country, including calling for their immediate return to India,” he said.

He also said that they had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. “We are aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we are in touch with them,” he said.

About Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities, he said, “We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan.”

The officer also said that there are also a number of Afghans who have been Indian partners in the promotion of mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavours. “We will stand by them,” he said.

India concerned about people of Indian-origin stranded in Afghanistan: Hardeep Puri (ANI)

He informed that commercial operations from Kabul airport have been suspended today. “This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process,” the officer added.

The situation in Afghanistan is being monitored on a constant basis at high levels and the government will take all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan, he assured.

Several Sikh families are stuck there and are looking for safe passage out of the war ravaged country. One of them is Sanmeet Singh, an Afghan Sikh, whose family members are in Afghanistan and they have no idea how to return to India.

Sanmeet Singh has requested the Indian government to evacuate his family members stuck in Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Sanmeet Singh, who came to the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi on Monday to rectify a mistake in his passport, claimed, “after the embassy got him to get his passport re-issued, the name was spelt wrongly. The embassy has not given any word on correcting the name in the passport.”

Sanmeet Singh, who lives in Tilak Nagar, Delhi, has appealed to the Government of India to evacuate his family members from Afghanistan soon.

He told , “I just want to make this appeal to the Government of India, that 80 to 90 Sikhs who are stuck there should be taken out and sent to Delhi as soon as possible.”

“They are presently put up at Kardeparwan Gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan is in a very difficult situation,” he said.

He added, “If I had left about a week ago for Kabul, I would have brought my family members back to India. Several of my relatives are stuck there.”

While talking to the media, Sanmeet broke down as he prayed for the safety of his family.

The Afghanistan embassy in Delhi saw a stream of people on Monday morning, some came to tell their problems to the embassy authorities and some wanted information about their family members.

Reports say thousands of people have stormed the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, in the hope of getting out of the war-torn country. There is no flight in or out of Kabul airport as of now.

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