Afghanistan: News and Discussion

[ghazi52]

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Mujahid reacts to claims of Afghans involved in Pakistan attacks​

byThe Frontier Post

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Islamic Emirate in response to the detention of Afghan citizens who are accused of involvement in the terrorist attack in Pakistan, said that the details of this detention have not been shared with the current Afghan government.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, noted that the crime is a personal matter and therefore this issue should not be linked to Afghanistan.

“It has been repeatedly done in Afghanistan, where we have arrested and killed nationals of Pakistan as followers of Daesh. We cannot claim that Pakistan committed this crime or that the government of Pakistan was involved in this. Anyone who committed an act, it is a personal and individual act,” the spokesman added. Earlier, Pakistani media reported the arrest of 9 suspects in the Dera Ismail Khan suicide attack in this country, citing the Pakistan Counter-Terrorism Department, and added that six of the facilitators in Pakistan are from Afghanistan.

Earlier, Pakistani media reported that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), arrested nine terrorists and seven facilitators involved in the deadly attack on the compound of security forces in Dera Ismail Khan, of which six terrorists involved in the attack come from Afghanistan.

“The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested nine terrorists including the mastermind and seven facilitators involved in the deadly attack on the compound of security forces in Dera Ismail Khan that left at least 23 soldiers martyred earlier this month. According to the CTD documents available with Geo News, the mastermind involved in the terrorist attack belongs to Daraban area of DI Khan while six terrorists involved in the attack hail from Afghanistan,” the report reads.

“These remarks of Pakistan are political, and during the past fifty years, their goal was to implement their strategic plans. Today, when they cannot implement those plans in Afghanistan, they want to distort public opinion by making such statements,” said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a political analyst.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a “Weekly Media Briefing by Spokesperson” said that Islamabad cannot confirm the arrest of TTP members by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

In response to a reporter’s question about the publication of reports about the arrest of 40 members of the TTP in Afghanistan, she added: “We are unable to confirm the existence, scale or effectiveness of any action along those lines.”

“Our issue right now that we are focusing on is the action that the Afghan authorities must take against TTP elements and rein them in so that the terror threat against Pakistan from the Afghan soil is eliminated,” Baloch added.

“Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan are deteriorating and I think that the main reason is that the internal political dynamics of Pakistan are encouraging the rulers of Pakistan to increase their accusations against Afghanistan,” Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst said. Previously, Pakistani media had reported that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had summoned the Islamic Emirate’s charge d’affaires in connection with the recent attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an issue that the Islamic Emirate had denied.

 

[ghazi52]

Afghan couples marry in mass ceremony in bid to cut costs​

26th December 2023, 12:28 EST

By Thomas Mackintosh
BBC News

The ceremonies have become a growing practice to reduce the astronomical cost of traditional weddings

A mass wedding ceremony involving 50 couples has been held in Afghanistan.

Such ceremonies have become more common as low-income couples seek to avoid the high costs of a traditional wedding.

The brides-to-be were kept out of sight in a separate wing - it was only after lunch they appeared, local media say.

The event, in Kabul, was organised by a charity which also provided the newly-weds with items including a carpet and household appliances to start their married life.

An official from the ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice spoke at the low-key ceremonies.

While recitations from the Koran were read out, dancing and music remain effectively banned by the country's Taliban rulers since they returned to power in August 2021.

The brides and grooms were then carried away in cars decorated with green ribbons and red plastic roses in the form of hearts.

Roohullah Rezayi, 18, explained to AFP news agency he could not have afforded a solo wedding.

"A traditional wedding would have cost us at least 200,000 to 250,000 Afghanis [£2,220 to £2,770; $2,800 to $3,600] but this time it will be between 10,000 and 15,000 Afghanis," he said.

The young man, a member of the Hazara Shia Muslim minority and from Ghor province, earns barely 350 Afghanis per day doing odd jobs, the agency says.

"We invited 35 people from our two families, otherwise it would have been 300 to 400," he added.

For some of the grooms-to-be it had been a long wait, AFP notes.

"I've been waiting for this day for three years," said Samiullah Zamani, a 23, a farmer from Kabul province. "I can't wait to see her."

Getty Images

The Afghan grooms arrived on Monday for the mass wedding ceremony at a wedding hall in Kabul

The brides-to-be were kept out of sight in a separate wing - it was only after lunch they appeared, local media reported
Images

Relatives of grooms and brides attended the mass wedding ceremony at the wedding hall in Kabul

Dancing and music has been effectively banned after Taliban authorities deemed such activities un-Islamic

Afghan couples marry in mass ceremony in bid to cut costs

Such wedding ceremonies are becoming more common as couples seek to save money.

www.bbc.com

 

[ghazi52]

Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (AP): Bahara Rustam, 13, took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul on Dec. 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Taliban rule, she is unlikely to step foot in a classroom again.

In September 2021, a month after U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan following two decades of war, the Taliban announced that girls were barred from studying beyond sixth grade.

They extended this education ban to universities in December 2022. The Taliban have defied global condemnation and warnings that the restrictions will make it almost impossible for them to gain recognition as the country’s legitimate rulers.

Last week, U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva expressed concern that a generation of Afghan girls is falling behind with each day that passes.

Last week, an official in the Education Ministry said Afghan girls of all ages are allowed to study in religious schools known as madrassas, which have traditionally been boys-only. But Otunbayeva said it was unclear if there was a standardized curriculum that allowed modern subjects.

Bahara is holding onto her education and pores over textbooks at home. “Graduating (from sixth grade) means we are going to seventh grade,” she said. “But all of our classmates cried and we were very disappointed.”

There was no graduation ceremony for the girls at Bibi Razia School.

In another part of Kabul, 13-year old Setayesh Sahibzada wonders what the future holds for her. She is sad she can’t go to school anymore to achieve her dreams.

“I can’t stand on my own two feet,” she said. “I wanted to be a teacher. But now I can’t study, I can’t go to school.”

Analyst Muhammad Saleem Paigir warned that excluding women and girls from education will be disastrous for Afghanistan. “We understand that illiterate people can never be free and prosperous,” he said.

The Taliban have barred women from many public spaces and most jobs, all but confining women to their homes.

Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over

KABUL (AP): Bahara Rustam, 13, took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul on Dec. 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Taliban rule, she is unlikely to step foot in a classroom…

thefrontierpost.com

 

[RescueRanger]

Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (AP): Bahara Rustam, 13, took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul on Dec. 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Taliban rule, she is unlikely to step foot in a classroom again.

In September 2021, a month after U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan following two decades of war, the Taliban announced that girls were barred from studying beyond sixth grade.

They extended this education ban to universities in December 2022. The Taliban have defied global condemnation and warnings that the restrictions will make it almost impossible for them to gain recognition as the country’s legitimate rulers.

Last week, U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva expressed concern that a generation of Afghan girls is falling behind with each day that passes.

Last week, an official in the Education Ministry said Afghan girls of all ages are allowed to study in religious schools known as madrassas, which have traditionally been boys-only. But Otunbayeva said it was unclear if there was a standardized curriculum that allowed modern subjects.

Bahara is holding onto her education and pores over textbooks at home. “Graduating (from sixth grade) means we are going to seventh grade,” she said. “But all of our classmates cried and we were very disappointed.”

There was no graduation ceremony for the girls at Bibi Razia School.

In another part of Kabul, 13-year old Setayesh Sahibzada wonders what the future holds for her. She is sad she can’t go to school anymore to achieve her dreams.

“I can’t stand on my own two feet,” she said. “I wanted to be a teacher. But now I can’t study, I can’t go to school.”

Analyst Muhammad Saleem Paigir warned that excluding women and girls from education will be disastrous for Afghanistan. “We understand that illiterate people can never be free and prosperous,” he said.

The Taliban have barred women from many public spaces and most jobs, all but confining women to their homes.

Afghan schoolgirls are finishing sixth grade in tears. Under Taliban rule, their education is over

KABUL (AP): Bahara Rustam, 13, took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul on Dec. 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Taliban rule, she is unlikely to step foot in a classroom…

thefrontierpost.com

Where was that rat who was defending Taliban on this forum? I'd like for him to come and comment on this thread. Taliban are unsuitable to run a grocery store, let alone a nation of estimated 35 million people.

 

[ghazi52]

UAE’s Air Arabia to launch daily flights to Kabul​

DUBAI: Air Arabia announced daily flights to Kabul on Wednesday, becoming the United Arab Emirates’ second airline to serve the Afghan capital.

The Sharjah-based budget carrier will fly non-stop to and from Kabul once a day from January 10, it said in a statement.

The service is “a testament to our ongoing dedication to providing passengers with value-driven and affordable air travel, as well as new destinations to explore”, said group CEO Adel Al Ali.

Caretaker govt tells Senate: PIA sell-off plan still there in line with IMF deal

Last month flydubai, another low-cost Emirati airline, became the first international carrier to resume flights to Afghanistan since the chaotic withdrawal of US forces in 2021.

Kabul’s airport was trashed during the mass evacuation of civilians, and a suicide bombing on its perimeter killed more than 170 people, including 13 US troops.

The full operation of Kabul’s airport is seen as crucial to reviving Afghanistan’s shattered economy.

Apart from flydubai, Afghanistan’s Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines currently operate limited services from Kabul to destinations including Dubai, Moscow, Islamabad and Istanbul.

Last year, UAE-based company GAAC signed a contract to manage Afghanistan’s air traffic, an agreement that was expected to bring back international airlines.

UAE’s Air Arabia to launch daily flights to Kabul

DUBAI: Air Arabia announced daily flights to Kabul on Wednesday, becoming the United Arab Emirates’ second airline...

www.brecorder.com

 

[ghazi52]

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[ghazi52]

Border fence in winter

 

[Nevsky]

Border fence in winter

On which border? The one with Pakistan?

 

[ghazi52]

On which border? The one with Pakistan?

Pak-Afghan

 

[ghazi52]

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[FuturePAF]

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Slowly removing impediments to some kind of normalization.

 

[ghazi52]

IEA team discusses transit facilitations​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (BNA): A technical delegation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by Mohammad Ullah Bakhtyar, the Head of International Transit at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, has embarked on a journey to Iran.

The delegation met with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Special Envoy of the Iranian President for Afghanistan, officials from the Chabahar Free Zone, maritime affairs experts, and local authorities in Iran’s Sistan Baluchestan province.

As per a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the meeting revolved around discussions and negotiations concerning facilitations, benefits, and special discounts for high-value transit goods via the Chabahar route in Afghanistan.

Key topics included cost reduction for transportation from Chabahar to shared ports, an increase in ship traffic and refrigerated container numbers on this route, long-term identification and leasing of land for container loading and unloading at the Chabahar port, definitive identification and sale of land for transit goods storage and logistics center, and the identification and sale of land for Afghan traders in the Chabahar Free Trade Zone Industrial Park.

 

[ghazi52]

Kabul hopes Afghanistan, Pakistan can address mutual concerns​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (Ariana News): Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has expressed hope that Afghanistan and Pakistan can address their mutual concerns.

Balkhi told Al Jazeera TV channel that both sides should find a “better pathway” that safeguards the “goodwill” that the government and people of Pakistan had shown towards Afghan refugees.

In October last, Pakistan gave illegal refugees a deadline to leave voluntarily or face forced repatriation.

The United Nations says that Pakistan has forced more than 450,000 Afghans out of the country.

Balkhi also dismissed fears that some refugees will be persecuted after return.

“We have maintained a policy of general amnesty. Thanks Allah, we are Muslims. Unlike certain powers that killed and suffocated thousands of prisoners in containers, we declared a general amnesty, and we have shown in our deeds that the general amnesty stands for anyone that collaborated with foreign powers. There are hundreds of thousands that are currently working shoulder-to-shoulder with the government of Afghanistan and government bodies. And there are millions of others who are living peacefully and enjoying their lives,” Balkhi said.

He said that Pakistan started expelling Afghan refugees without coordinating with Kabul and against international practices.

 

[ghazi52]

Water and energy projects: Turkish company interested in investing in Afghanistan​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (BNA): Mujib Rahman Omar Akhundzada, the Deputy Minister of Water and Energy, held a meeting with representatives from the Calcedon Holding Company of Turkey at his office. The Water and Energy Ministry released a statement detailing that during the meeting, officials from the Turkish company expressed their interest in investing in water and energy projects in Afghanistan.

The Deputy Minister of Water and Energy welcomed the company’s interest in contributing to the water and energy sector in Afghanistan. He assured the company officials that the ministry would provide them with the necessary project information to facilitate coordination and progress on the related initiatives.

 

[ghazi52]

City taxi color change begins in Northern Afghanistan​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (Khaama Press): Changing the color of city taxis from yellow to turquoise has recently begun in the country’s northern zone, starting from the center.

Haseebullah Mokhtar, the General Director of Traffic in Afghanistan, recently stated during a special ceremony in Balkh province that this process has commenced in the northern zones of Balkh, Sar-e Pol, Faryab, and Jawzjan provinces.

Mokhtar added that the color of all city taxi vehicles will change from yellow to turquoise and white while surrounding taxi vehicles will transition to turquoise.

Moreover, Norullah Abidris, the Deputy Governor of Balkh, recently stated during a ceremony marking the initiation of changing the color of the city and surrounding vehicles in northern Afghanistan that the level of insecurity and kidnappings will decrease upon completion of this process nationwide.

It’s worth noting that this process has been approved by the General Director of Traffic Police and the cabinet.

Changing the color of taxis from yellow to turquoise initially began from the center and is now underway in the northern zone.