NAI Media Watchdog Temporary Suspends Its Operations

Khelwatgar stressed that no representative will be representing the organization in Afghanistan anymore.

Mujeeb Khelwatgar, the head of NAI (a group that supports open media in Afghanistan) in a video message announced the temporary suspension of this organization’s activities in Afghanistan.

Khelwatgar stressed that no representative will be representing the organization in Afghanistan anymore.

“The leadership of the NAI in their latest meeting reached an agreement to halt the activity of NAI for temporary period of time in Afghanistan,” he said.

NAI was operating in Afghanistan for nearly two decades.

“If one of these organizations are being closed or halt their work. It means that a major impact and a major harm is inflicted to the media society of Afghanistan,” said Abdul Qadeem Wiar, head of the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee.

This comes as the journalists expressed concerns, saying that suspension of organizations supporting the media will have a negative impact on the activities of the media.

“The presence of an organization was a hope for the media and journalists and its suspension is bad news for the media society,” said Daud Mubarak Oghlu, a journalist.

“I don’t consider the suspension of such an institution a good move. I call on the government to support such organizations which are supporting the media,” said Sadam Hussein Bashash, a journalist.

Based on the statistics of the Union of Afghanistan’s National Journalists, nearly 80 TV channels, over 200 radio stations and nearly 10 news agencies as well as 14 printing services are currently active in Afghanistan.

Also, more than 270 media organizations have suspended their operations after the Islamic Emirate came to power.

NAI Media Watchdog Temporary Suspends Its Operations
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25 Foreign Nationals in Jail: Prisons Official

Badr said that of over 19,000 detainees, approximately 800 are women and more than 200 are members of the Islamic Emirate.

The deputy head of the Office of the Prison Administration, Habibullah Badr, said that there are 25 foreign nationals currently in the prisons of the Islamic Emirate.

In an interview with TOLOnews, Badr said that they were detained for committing various crimes, but he did not give details.

“The total detainees of foreign nationals are nearly 25 who are detained on charges with criminal cases,” he said.

Badr said that of over 19,000 detainees, approximately 800 are women and more than 200 are members of the Islamic Emirate.

“The women are between 800 to 850 detainees. Some of them are to be released and some others are newly coming to the prison. The rest of the detainees are men,” he said.

Badr also stated that around 100,000 detainees were freed from prisons after the Islamic Emirate came to power based on the amnesty decree of the Islami Emirate’s leader.

He also stressed efforts to codify a law for reforms within the prisons across the country.

“Since the return of the Islamic Emirate, we have released around 100,000 people from the prison,” Badr said.

According to him, 1,500 Afghans detained in Iran have been transferred to the country and they are now spending their prison term in Afghanistan.

25 Foreign Nationals in Jail: Prisons Official
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US Using ‘Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs’ With Kabul: Patel

Earlier, relatives and some US politicians in a gathering called for the release of American citizen Ryan Corbett from detention in Afghanistan.

The deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, Vedant Patel, said that “work” is ongoing by the US special envoy of hostage affairs regarding American citizens.

In a press briefing was asked what is the US “doing to release hostages taken by the Taliban and deter Taliban from this action?”, Patel said: “We have no greater priority than the safety and security of American citizens, especially those who are wrongfully detained and held hostage. And so that work continues to be ongoing through our special envoy for hostage affairs, as well as other work throughout the interagency.”

“But I want to take this opportunity to remind people tuning in that, again, our Travel Advisory for Afghanistan continues to be at Level 4, which is Do Not Travel. Those travel advisories are important, they are serious, and Americans should review them before they travel to any particular destination around the planet,” he said.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on it but earlier, its spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the foreign nationals detained by the Islamic Emirate are in good health.

Earlier, relatives and some US politicians in a gathering called for the release of American citizen Ryan Corbett from detention in Afghanistan. Ryan was detained on 10 August 2022 after he returned to Afghanistan.

The political analysts meanwhile urged the Islamic Emirate to provide proper peace and security in the country in a bid to earn trust of the international community.

“It is necessary for the interim government of Afghanistan to take necessary steps to provide peace, stability and security of the people of Afghanistan, particularly the foreigners inside Afghanistan,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, a political analyst.

“This can have a negative impact on the tourists and many tourists will avoid traveling to Afghanistan because their foreign ministries warned them terrorists’ presence there [Afghanistan],” said Wahid Faqiri, international relations’ analyst.

Earlier, the UK Foreign Office also advised the British citizens to refrain from traveling to Afghanistan.

US Using ‘Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs’ With Kabul: Patel
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Farmers Suffers Extreme Income Loss From Opium Ban: UNODC

Anubha Sood, representative of the UNODC Afghanistan, said that many challenges in Afghanistan have affected the food supply of families.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that after the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the income of farmers decreased.

Anubha Sood, representative of the UNODC Afghanistan, said that many challenges in Afghanistan have affected the food supply of families.

Representatives of UNODC Afghanistan said: “Drug users, farmers and vulnerable communities are being hit by multiple layers of crisis that are intensifying their already severe needs in Afghanistan. Across Afghanistan, farmers have suffered extreme loss of income following the opium ban by the de facto authorities in 2022. At the same time climate change is taking place here and now. Drought is severely impacting farmers’ capacity to cultivate crops, take care of their livestock and feed their families. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans are being returned from Pakistan in desperate need of resources to meet their basic needs. Amidst the global crisis unfolding, let us not forget that there are profound needs in Afghanistan. A crisis with potentially disastrous consequences. Now is the time to step up for the people of Afghanistan. And let us not forget them.”

After the ban on poppy cultivation, a number of farmers complained about the decrease in their income and lack of full access to alternative cultivation.

They asked the caretaker government to cooperate with them in the field of agricultural growth and increasing the sales of alternative crops.

“After opium cultivation was banned, there was no alternative for us. Neither with agricultural seeds nor anything else that is useful,” said Fazel Ahmad, a farmer.

“They should help us because we are poor people, for example, wheat, chemical fertilizer, so that we can plant it,” said Achaldi, a farmer.

“The government said that you should not plant drugs, instead we will give you fertilized seeds and chemical fertilizers, but it did not arrive,” said Mohammad Gul, a farmer.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate once again emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture is trying to distribute more alternative crops and create ways to increase farmers’ income.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said: “The countries that were affected by this issue should be concerned about narcotics and spend a lot of money to prevent narcotics. They should cooperate with the Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan in general to provide an alternative livelihood for the farmers so that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan can be prevented forever and to make everyone happy.”

Earlier, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a report said that opium poppy cultivation declined by 95% in Afghanistan.

Farmers Suffers Extreme Income Loss From Opium Ban: UNODC
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Islamic Emirate Invited to Coming Meeting in Doha: Deputy PM

According to a statement released by the Arg, the two sides discussed girls’ education and other political issues.

The political deputy of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, in his meeting with Norway’s chargé d’affaires Paul Klouman Bekken said that the Islamic Emirate has been invited to a meeting on the Afghan situation due to be held in Doha.

According to a statement released by the Arg, the two sides discussed girls’ education and other political issues.

The statement quoted Klouman as saying that the world has not forgotten about Afghanistan and that a grand meeting is intended to be convened next month on Afghanistan.

The Norwegian diplomat also asked the Islamic Emirate to provide education and employment for girls and women.

The statement quoted Mawlawi Abdul Kabir as saying the Islamic Emirate is not against girls’ education and that a special committee appointed by the leader of the Islamic Emirate is handling the issue.

According to the statement, the deputy PM said that the Islamic Emirate representative has been invited to next month’s meeting and has asked European countries to reopen their respective embassies in Kabul.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir further stated that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used to threaten other countries and that the Islamic Emirate wants good relations with all.

Doha is to host to a meeting of special envoys of countries on Afghanistan for the second time. The first such meeting was held on February 18-19 2023.

Meanwhile, political analysts said that the presence of an Islamic Emirate representative will pave the way for a solution to the existing challenges of Afghanistan.

“The Norwegian ambassador said that his country has good relations with the interim Afghan government or people of Afghanistan and [he] wants an improvement of relations between the Islamic Emirate and the international community,” said Hassan Haqyar, head of the press office of the deputy prime minister for political affairs.

“There have been negotiations in this regard and there have been preparation. I hope this will be in the interest of Afghanistan. The international community should not consider its interest. This belongs to the current ruling on how they can turn this game to the benefit of Afghanistan,” said Aziz Maarij, political analyst.

Following the February 2023 meeting of envoys, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres appointed a special coordinator to assess the situation in Afghanistan.

Islamic Emirate Invited to Coming Meeting in Doha: Deputy PM
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Turkish and Iranian presidents call for inclusive Govt in Afghanistan

The Presidents of Iran and Turkey, in a joint statement, emphasized the creation of an inclusive, responsible, and accountable government to represent all the people of Afghanistan.

Ebrahim Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for ensuring security for the people of Afghanistan “without any ethnic or sectarian discrimination.”

Ebrahim Raisi visited Turkey on Wednesday and met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during his visit.

In the joint statement, the Presidents of Iran and Turkey stated that both countries assessed practical and constructive interaction with the current authorities in Afghanistan as important.

Despite their relations with the Taliban, Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran, like other countries, do not formally recognize this group.

The joint statement of the Presidents of both countries also mentioned a comprehensive fight against all terrorist groups, the production and trafficking of narcotics, human trafficking, illegal border crossings, and facilitating the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of all Afghan migrants to their country as among the topics of discussion.

During their meeting, Erdoğan and Raisi discussed various issues, including addressing the Gaza crisis, fighting terrorism and smuggling along their borders, economic cooperation, and enhancing transit networks.

Additionally, they focused on combating Islamophobia, ensuring Syrian peace, respecting the territorial integrity of Caucasian nations, and other regional concerns. Before issuing a joint statement, the two leaders held a two-hour meeting, followed by a press conference.

Raisi emphasized regional security, expressing doubts about the effectiveness of international organizations, while both leaders affirmed their support for Palestine and called for an end to Gaza attacks, advocating for lasting peace.

Turkish and Iranian presidents call for inclusive Govt in Afghanistan
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Karzai: Hope schools and universities will reopen for girls in Afghanistan

On the occasion of World Education Day, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai reiterated this demand on Wednesday and urged the Taliban administration to create favourable conditions for girls’ education as soon as possible.

Karzai emphasized the fundamental role of education in a country’s progress, coinciding with World Education Day celebrated globally on January 24th.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International launched a campaign in support of girls’ education in Afghanistan on January 24th, World Education Day.

It has been over two years since girls above the sixth grade were prohibited from attending schools and educational institutions in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has not made any new decisions regarding the education of girls beyond the sixth grade in the country.

Karzai’s call highlights the urgent need to address the educational rights of Afghan girls.

The international community continues to advocate for the restoration of girls’ access to education in Afghanistan.

Karzai: Hope schools and universities will reopen for girls in Afghanistan
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Kabul to host regional conference next week: Iranian official

The Director-General of South Asian Affairs at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Kabul will host a regional conference called “Worthy of Attention” next week.

Rasoul Mousavi stated that representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and China will participate in this conference, followed by a Doha meeting on the 17th of February 2024.

This Iranian diplomat wrote in a post on the social media platform X, that this conference “reflects the special attention of Afghanistan’s neighbours to peace, stability, and the welfare of the Afghan people, as well as security in the region.”

Previously, Kabulov, Russia’s representative for Afghanistan, had also mentioned that a meeting involving China, Iran, and Pakistan about Afghanistan would be held at the end of January.

Russian news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, citing Kabulov as saying, “Engaging with the current authorities in Afghanistan to establish an inclusive government, combat terrorism, and narcotics” will be on the agenda of this conference.

Earlier, Kabulov had announced the organization of a UN-sponsored conference on Afghanistan and had also mentioned that the Moscow format for Afghanistan would continue in 2024.

Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, no countries or international organizations have officially recognized their government. This lack of recognition stems from concerns regarding the Taliban’s disregard for human rights and their violations of women’s rights.

Kabulov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, on Wednesday stated that Russia would not recognize the Taliban regime. This decision is based on the Taliban’s track record of human rights violations and their failure to adhere to their international obligations.

Kabul to host regional conference next week: Iranian official
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US warned Iran that ISIS-K was preparing attack ahead of deadly Kerman blasts, a US official says

BY AAMER MADHANI

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government privately warned Iran that the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan was preparing to carry out a terrorist attack before bombings in Kerman earlier this month that killed 95 people, a U.S. official said Thursday.

The official, who was not authorized to comment and insisted on anonymity to discuss the intelligence, said the U.S. was following its longstanding policy of a “duty to warn” other governments against potential lethal threats.

The official did not detail how the U.S., which does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, conveyed the warning about its intelligence on ISIS-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, but noted that government officials “provide these warnings in part because we do not want to see innocent lives lost in terror attacks.”

Iranian state media did not acknowledge the U.S. giving Tehran the information, and Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Jan. 3 attack on Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of Iran’s capital, Tehran. The dual suicide bombing killed at least 95 people and wounded dozens of others attending a commemoration for the late Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, who had been killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.

In the time since, Iran has been trying to blame the U.S. and Israel for the attack amid Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It has launched missile attacks on Iraq and Syria. It then launched strikes on nuclear-armed Pakistan, which responded with its own strikes on Iran, further raising tensions in a region inflamed by the Israel-Hamas war.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report that the U.S. had provided the warning to Iran.ISIS-K was behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that left 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghans dead during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

ISIS-K has thousands of members and is the Taliban’s most bitter enemy and top military threat. The group has continued to carry out attacks in Afghanistan and beyond since the Taliban takeover.

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

 

US warned Iran that ISIS-K was preparing attack ahead of deadly Kerman blasts, a US official says
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Pakistan’s Munir Accuses Afghanistan of Supporting Balochistan Insurgents

He also stated: “The life of a single Pakistani is more important than the entire Afghanistan.”

Pakistani media quoted the country’s chief of army staff, Syed Asim Munir, saying that the insurgency in Balochistan has long been supported by Afghanistan, and the western neighbor has never shown friendship towards Pakistan.

He also stated: “The life of a single Pakistani is more important than the entire Afghanistan.”

According to the Express Tribune, Munir made the remarks during a session with students from public and private universities on Wednesday. Munir said “when it comes to the safety and security of every single Pakistani, the whole of Afghanistan can be damned.”

Afghanistan was the only country that opposed Pakistan’s admission to the United Nations after independence, Munir said, and added that the problem is that “our people do not read history.”

He also claimed that Pakistan provided food for five million Afghan nationals for 50 years, but “when it comes to our children, we will pursue those who attack them.”

The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on Munir’s remarks but earlier said that Pakistani officials should not blame Afghanistan for their failure and for being unable to provide security on their own soil.

The political analysts meanwhile said that the Pakistani officials are attempting to hide their security weakness by making allegations about Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate has a clear stance. They have repeatedly said that we don’t want to interfere in anyone’s affairs and we don’t want others to interfere in our internal affairs. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman has denied the presence of TTP (Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan) repeatedly,” said Gul Mohammaddin Mohammadi, a political analyst. “Pakistan is more like Afghanistan of 2018. It attempts to hide its security weakness through accusing Afghanistan,” said Ahmad Munib Rasa, a political analyst.

Earlier, Balochistan’s caretaker minister for information, Jan Achakzai, said that Afghan soil is a threat to Pakistani security forces. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Jan Achakzai also said that terrorists have networks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Munir Accuses Afghanistan of Supporting Balochistan Insurgents
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