Pakistan terms Afghan minister's comments 'highly regrettable'

— APP/File

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday termed the accusations made by Afghanistan’s Acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob “conjectural allegations”. In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that the statement was “highly regrettable” and defied the “norms of responsible diplomatic conduct”. “In the absence of any evidence, as acknowledged by the Afghan minister himself, such conjectural allegations are highly regrettable and defy the norms of responsible diplomatic conduct,” said the spokesperson in a statement. The spokesperson reaffirmed Islamabad’s “belief in the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states” and condemnation of “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”. “We urge the Afghan interim authorities to ensure the fulfilment of international commitments made by Afghanistan not to allow the use of its territory for terrorism against any country,” said the spokesperson.

'Pakistan should not allow its airspace to be used against us'

Afghan defence minister Mujahid accused Pakistan earlier today of providing airspace for US drones to enter his country, characterising the incursions as a continuation of Washington's "invasion". Mujahid's comments came less than a month after US President Joe Biden announced the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul. US drones continued to be seen flying over Kabul even now, Mujahid said. "Our information shows that they (US drones) are entering into Afghanistan from Pakistan, using the airspace of Pakistan," Mujahid told reporters when asked where the drones were coming from. "We demand that Pakistan should not allow its airspace to be used against us." Deploying these drones into Afghanistan is "still a clear invasion of Afghanistan and its airspace by the Americans", Mujahid said.
"They are doing this shamelessly. We condemn this illegal act and demand that the Americans put an end to it." The United States led an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 that toppled the first Taliban government, after the group refused to hand over the late Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks. The drone attack in July that killed Zawahiri, bin Laden's successor, was the first known strike by the US on a target in Afghanistan since Washington withdrew its forces from the country on August 31 last year. Mujahid said the authorities were investigating Biden's claims of killing Zawahiri. "We will share the details when it is complete," he said. Officials have neither confirmed Zawahiri's presence in Afghanistan nor acknowledged his death.

#Pakistan #terms #Afghan #ministers #comments #highly #regrettable https://www.globalcourant.com/pakistan-terms-afghan-ministers-comments-highly-regrettable/?feed_id=17211&_unique_id=630c338f6fa7d

Afghan refugees in UAE protest against living facilities, slow resettlement

Afghans shout for freedom at the Abu Dhabi facility and demand quick resettlement to the US or elsewhere.

US officials have said that all those who qualify will be resettled in the United States, while others will be resettled in third nations. (Reuters Archive)

Afghan refugees and migrants living in limbo at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) facility for nearly a year since being evacuated from Afghanistan have held fresh protests over what they say is a slow and opaque resettlement process. Hundreds of Afghans carried banners and shouted for freedom on Monday and Tuesday, two Afghans in the facility told the Reuters news agency, estimating that thousands were still awaiting resettlement to the United States or third countries. Images and videos shared with Reuters showed children, women and men protesting inside the facility in Abu Dhabi, known as Emirates Humanitarian City, with temperatures in the Gulf Arab state reaching 38 degrees Celsius. One boy held a small banner that read: "One year is enough!" An Emirati official acknowledged in a written statement to Reuters that there were frustrations and that the process of resettlement has taken longer than the UAE had wanted. The official said the UAE was continuing to work with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the capital, to process the Afghans housed in the facility so that they could be resettled in a "timely manner." "The UAE remains committed to this ongoing cooperation with the US and other international partners to ensure that Afghan evacuees can live in safety, security, and dignity,” the official said. "Nearly one year, we have been here in detention and the camp is like a modern prison. No one is allowed to go out, they don't know when (we) will be settled permanently in any country," one of the Afghans said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Refugees speak of impact on mental health Protests first erupted at the facility in February after the resettlement process appeared to have stalled, prompting a visit by a US State Department senior official who said all Afghans there would be resettled by August. The process resumed shortly after the visit. At the time, there were an estimated 12,000 Afghans at the facility in Abu Dhabi and another site nearby. The United States has since August last year taken in over 85,000 Afghans, including many who were processed in the Middle East and Europe. The two Afghans who spoke to Reuters said the mental health of those in the tightly controlled facility was deteriorating due to the uncertainty over their future. Both said they did not know when they would be resettled. The UAE official said those housed in the facility received "high-quality housing, sanitation, health, clinical, counselling, education and food services to ensure their welfare." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo5whd47iWU[/embed] #AfghanEvac, a coalition of volunteer groups advocating on behalf of Afghans to the US government, wrote on Twitter after protests broke out that the process had not stalled and those in the UAE facility would be resettled in the United States or elsewhere. UAE officials have said the country offered to temporarily host thousands of Afghans evacuated on behalf of the United States and other Western nations after Afghanistan's Western-backed government collapsed and the Taliban took over. Others arrived later on chartered flights. The UAE, like other Gulf states, typically does not accept refugees. US officials have said that all those who qualify will be resettled in the United States, while others will be resettled in third nations. No one would be forced to return to Afghanistan, according to US officials, though some in the UAE returned voluntarily after months of waiting. READ MORE: Afghan refugees in India face an uncertain future READ MORE: Foreign Ministry: Türkiye not a refugee camp or border guard for any nation Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/afghan-refugees-in-uae-protest-against-living-facilities-slow-resettlement/?feed_id=14985&_unique_id=6305991192247

Afghan Taliban mark first year in power

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital Kabul, culminating a dramatic series of territorial gains, which also ended 20 years of US-led military invasion in the war-torn country.

A chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces continued until August 31, 2021 with tens of thousands of people rushing to Kabul's airport hoping to be evacuated on any flight out of Afghanistan. (Reuters)

The Taliban have marked the first anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan with a national holiday.

"We fulfilled the obligation of jihad and liberated our country," said Niamatullah Hekmat on Monday.

He is a fighter who entered Kabul on August 15 last year just hours after then-president Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

Exactly a year ago, the group captured Kabul after their nationwide lightning offensive against government forces ended 20 years of US-led military invasion.

A chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces continued until August 31, with tens of thousands of people rushing to Kabul's airport hoping to be evacuated on any flight out of Afghanistan.

Images of crowds storming the airport, climbing atop aircraft – and some clinging to a departing US military cargo plane as it rolled down the runway – aired on news bulletins around the world.

READ MORE: How smouldering discontent affects the Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Authorities have so far not announced any official celebrations to mark the anniversary, but state television said it would air special programmes.

Taliban fighters, however, expressed happiness that their movement was now in power.

"The time when we entered Kabul, and when the Americans left, those were moments of joy," said Hekmat, now a member of the special forces guarding the presidential palace.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1XYE14GCY[/embed]

A year in power

While Afghans acknowledge a decline in violence since the Taliban seized power, many Afghans continue to struggle to steer through many challenges, including rising prices.

"People coming to our shops are complaining so much of high prices that we shopkeepers have started hating ourselves," said Noor Mohammad, a shopkeeper from Kandahar, the de facto power centre of the Taliban.

For Taliban fighters, however, the joy of victory overshadows the current economic crisis. 

"We might be poor, we might be facing hardships, but the white flag of Islam will now fly high forever in Afghanistan", said a fighter guarding a public park in Kabul.

READ MORE: Top Taliban leader hails 'freedom' in rare appearance to mark Eid

Source: AFP

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/afghan-taliban-mark-first-year-in-power/?feed_id=11070&_unique_id=62f9e90908808

Lawmakers sponsor bill to give Afghan evacuees path to US citizenship

Democrats and Republicans introduce identical versions of bill in Congress, days before first anniversary of final US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Many of the 76,000 Afghans flown out in last year's evacuation operation entered the United States on humanitarian parole. (AP Archive)

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both houses of US Congress to establish a path to American citizenship for thousands of Afghan evacuees admitted to the US on temporary immigration status.

"We must keep our commitment to provide safe, legal refuge to those who willingly put their lives on the line to support the US mission in Afghanistan," Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer, co-sponsor of the House bill with Republican Peter Meijer, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The bill also would expand eligibility for Special Immigration Visas (SIVs) beyond Afghans who worked for the US government to those who fought alongside US forces as commandoes and air force personnel, and to women who served in special counterterrorism teams.

Identical versions of the bill were introduced days before the first anniversary of the final US troop withdrawal and the chaotic evacuation operation that ended America's longest war and saw the Taliban taking over Kabul.

Resistance to bill

Three minority Republicans, including Senator Lindsey Graham, joined three majority Democrats in introducing an identical version of the Afghanistan Adjustment Act in the thinly divided Senate, enhancing its chances of passage.

Even so, a congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the measure likely will face "resistance" from anti-immigration Republicans.

Many of the 76,000 Afghans flown out in last year's evacuation operation entered the United States on humanitarian parole, a temporary immigration status that typically only lasts up to two years.

The legislation would allow those evacuees to apply for permanent legal status if they submit to additional background checks.

Generally, those Afghans only can gain permanent legal status in the United States by applying for asylum or through SIVs, programmes beset by major backlogs.

Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/lawmakers-sponsor-bill-to-give-afghan-evacuees-path-to-us-citizenship/?feed_id=8886&_unique_id=62f324095b0a9

Blast in Afghan capital Kabul, many feared injured

A bomb exploded in a busy shopping street in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday and at least 22 people were injured, hospital officials and witnesses said.

The blast occurred ina western district of the city where members of the minority Shi'ite Muslim community regularly meet.

Video footage posted online showed ambulances rushing to the scene, which is also near bus stations.

A spokesman for the Taliban interior ministry said an investigation team was at the blast site to help the wounded and assess casualties.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/blast-in-afghan-capital-kabul-many-feared-injured/?feed_id=7633&_unique_id=62ef33f476735

Deadly bomb attack hits Afghan capital

Fast News

The blast occurred in a west Kabul neighbourhood that is mainly inhabited by members of the ethnic Hazara community, who are mostly Shia Muslims.

No group has so far claimed the blast, but Daesh has regularly targeted Shia Muslims in Afghanistan. (Reuters Archive)

A bomb attached to a handcart has exploded in Kabul, police said, killing eight people and wounding 18 in an area largely inhabited by Afghanistan's minority Shia Muslim community.

The explosives were attached to a handcart loaded with vegetables and parked in an area where residents shopped for daily food items, Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran told reporters on Friday.

"The explosion took place amongst civilians and according to preliminary information two of our citizens were martyred and three others were wounded," he said.

The blast occurred in a west Kabul neighbourhood that is mainly inhabited by members of the ethnic Hazara community, who are mostly Shia Muslims.

Shia Muslims in Afghanistan are currently commemorating the first 10 days of the Islamic holy month of Muharram, culminating in Ashura, which marks the death of the revered Imam Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

READ MORE: Did the US violate Doha accord by taking out Al Qaeda chief Zawahiri?

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muo1turFIbw[/embed]

Key security challenge

No group has so far claimed the blast, but Daesh has regularly targeted Shia Muslims in Afghanistan.

The number of violent public attacks across the country has fallen since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, but Daesh has continued to target Shia Muslims, whom it views as heretics.

The minority group makes up between 10 to 20 percent of Afghanistan's population of 38 million.

Taliban officials insist their forces have defeated Daesh, but analysts say the group remains a key security challenge.

READ MORE: How smouldering discontent affects the Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Source: AFP

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/deadly-bomb-attack-hits-afghan-capital/?feed_id=7108&_unique_id=62ed62d2d085d

US, Taliban representatives meet on Afghan central bank reserves

Fast News

The two sides discussed the $3.5 billion Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people said State Department.

US and Taliban representatives discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people. (Reuters)

A US delegation discussed with Taliban officials efforts to enable the release of billions of dollars from Afghan central bank reserves, the State Department said.

The meeting, involving Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson, took place on Wednesday, the State Department said on Thursday in a release.

"The United States expressed the need to address the urgent humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The two sides discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people," the media note said.

The meetings took place after the conclusion of the Uzbekistan-hosted Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan on July 26.

The Taliban is seeking a way to unlock some of the country's foreign reserves — currently frozen by the United States — following a devastating earthquake in June, with the United States looking for assurances the money would go to help the population.

After taking over Afghanistan in July 2021, the Taliban sought international recognition but Western nations are reluctant to do so, citing humanitarian issues and freedom of expression.

READ MORE: US, Taliban discuss foreign reserves, aid for earthquake-hit Afghanistan

READ MORE: Russia hints it may recognise Taliban govt in Afghanistan

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/us-taliban-representatives-meet-on-afghan-central-bank-reserves/?feed_id=3620&_unique_id=62e338919f835