Qomi: Iran Does Not Support Opponents of Islamic Emirate

January 8, 2024
Hadia Ziaei
Tolo News
8 Jan 2024

Hassan Kazemi Qomi emphasized that Iran does not support the opponents of the Islamic Emirate, but tries to make Afghanistan a part of regional cooperation.

Iran ambassador and special representative to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, met with the Deputy PM for Political Affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, late on Sunday. 

The issue of Afghan refugees in Iran, and political and economic issues, were the topics that the two sides discussed.

In this meeting, Hassan Kazemi Qomi emphasized that Iran does not support the opponents of the Islamic Emirate, but tries to make Afghanistan a part of regional cooperation.

“The Iranian delegation emphasized that they take care of conspiracies of the countries that try to create suspicion between Afghanistan and Iran, Inshallah they will be prevented,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

“This meeting was fruitful for Afghanistan and Iran and the decision was made to make efforts for further relations between the two countries,” Said Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, head of the media directorate of the political deputy of the PM.

The Deputy PM for Political Affairs has expressed his sympathy regarding the recent deadly attack in Iran and said that the goal of Daesh as a common enemy is to destabilize the region and kill innocent people.

According to the statement, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir has also considered the regional cooperation between the two countries important.

“If they could help and cooperate in this regard, they could help the Islamic Emirate form a regional consensus, and finally, this will open a way for a global consensus,” said Jawid Momand, a political analyst.

This comes as the neighboring countries have always emphasized the security of Afghanistan’s soil against other countries, and the Islamic Emirate has always said that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against other countries.

Qomi: Iran Does Not Support Opponents of Islamic Emirate
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Islamic Emirate Praises Sinirlioğlu’s Work as UN Coordinator

January 8, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
7 Jan 2024
In addition, political analysts said that Sinirlioglu’s appointment was efficient for Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate has praised the mission of Special Coordinator of the United Nations for Afghanistan, Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, saying that he has somewhat presented the realities of Afghanistan on the international stage.

The spokesperson of the caretaker government of Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the Islamic Emirate has had good relations with the UN envoy so far.

“He has played a positive role so far because he has been optimistic, which we praise. The UN should send a replacement who is optimistic like him so that he/she can present the realities of Afghanistan to lead to resolving ambiguities about Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson of Islamic Emirate.

The United Nations announced that Sinirlioğlu’s mission as the organization’s special coordinator for Afghanistan has been extended until February 2024 to convene the grand meeting about the country.

In addition, political analysts said that Sinirlioglu’s appointment was efficient for Afghanistan.

“Sinirlioglu’s mission is a good one but not a complete mission. The mission should get more serious and open a path for intra-Afghan talks,” said Sangar Amirzada, an international relations’ expert. “His role was to find problems and find solutions for them. He has made a roadmap for full integration of Afghanistan in the international system,” said Bilal Fatemi, another international relations expert.

Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu was appointed as the UN’s special coordinator for Afghanistan in April 2023 who met with various officials and ministers of the Islamic Emirate during his tenure.

The UN coordinator presented to the UNSC his independent assessment on Afghanistan in November last year in which he highlighted ways for full integration of Afghanistan into the international system.

Islamic Emirate Praises Sinirlioğlu’s Work as UN Coordinator
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Supreme Leader Orders All Laws to be Sharia-Based: Ministry

January 8, 2024
Naweed Samadi
Tolo News
7 Jan 2024

Sahibzada said the capacity-building program was aimed at building the capacity of lawyers in serving people and implementing Islamic Sharia.

The supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate has ordered that Afghanistan’s laws be based on Sharia law and Islamic Jurisprudence, said the Ministry of Justice.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of new lawyers, the deputy minister of justice, Abdul Karim Haidar, said that they have made efforts in the past two years to prepare all laws and procedure of the ministry based on the Islamic principles.

“The supreme leader has ordered that all the laws in the Justice Ministry be sourced from Sharia law and jurisprudence,” said Abdul Karim Haidar, the Deputy Minister of Justice.

According to the head of legislation of the Justice Ministry Fazal Hadi Sahibzada, 120 lawyers graduated from a nine-month period of practical studies and training [post university period] enabling them to work in courts.

Sahibzada said the capacity-building program was aimed at building the capacity of lawyers in serving people and implementing Islamic Sharia.

“We had given them examinations and 120 lawyers graduated today who received certificates and work licenses. They are presented to the society to serve people in courts,” said Fazal Hadi Sahibzada, the head of legislation of the Justice Ministry.

Meanwhile, the lawyers who graduated from the program expressed their joy for completing the capacity building program.

“In the past, the practical studies and training programs for lawyers used to be held by different legal organizations and they used to fund and run the programs, but now this is not the case,” said Habib Al-Habib, the head of the lawyers of the ministry.

“Our fundamental goal is to ensure social justice and deliver jurisprudence to people . We have no other goal,” said Abdul Rahman Mawlawizada, one of the graduate lawyers.

Based on the statistics of officials at the Ministry of Justice, nearly 200 lawyers are still busy receiving studies and training at the ministry.

Supreme Leader Orders All Laws to be Sharia-Based: Ministry
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Exclusive: US intelligence confirms Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch behind Iran blasts

January 6, 2024

By  and 

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) – Communications intercepts collected by the United States confirmed that Islamic State’s (ISIS) Afghanistan-based branch carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people, two sources familiar with the intelligence told Reuters on Friday.

“The intelligence is clear-cut and indisputable,” one source said.

That source and a second, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, said the intelligence comprised communications intercepts, without providing further details. The collection of the intercepts has not been previously reported.

Wednesday’s bombings, the deadliest of their kind in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, added to regional tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi group on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

ISIS on Thursday claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying two operatives wearing explosive suicide belts staged the attack during a memorial service for Qassem Soleimani, a senior military commander assassinated in Iraq in a 2020 U.S. drone strike.

The Sunni Muslim militant group, however, did not specify that its Afghanistan-based affiliate, known as ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was responsible for the bombings in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman.

“The U.S. has pretty clear intel” that ISIS-K conducted the attack, the first source said.

The Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment.

ISIS harbors a virulent hatred for Shi’ites — Iran’s dominant sect and targets of its affiliate’s attacks in Afghanistan — who it views as apostates.

ISIS claimed responsibility for a 2022 attack on a Shi’ite shrine in Iran that killed 15 people and 2017 bombings that hit the parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Iran on Friday said security forces had arrested 11 people suspected of involvement in Wednesday’s attack and had seized explosive devices and vests.

While Taliban crackdowns have weakened ISIS-K and prompted some members to leave Afghanistan for neighboring countries, the affiliate has continued focusing on plotting foreign operations, U.S. officials say.

Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Steve Holland in Washington Editing by Susan Heavey, Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler

Exclusive: US intelligence confirms Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch behind Iran blasts
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Citizens Criticize ‘Slow Process’ of Supreme Court

January 6, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
6 Jan 2024

Some citizens asked the Islamic Emirate to address their cases as soon as possible.

Some citizens criticized the slow process of hearing their cases in the Supreme Court.

Some citizens asked the Islamic Emirate to address their cases as soon as possible.

“The courts should do their work quickly, and there should be no carelessness in this regard, so that the cases which are in the courts are addressed as soon as possible,” said Abdul Latif Azizi, a resident of Kabul.

“The cases in the courts should be addressed as soon as possible, because the cases should not be left unprocessed in the courts for years like in the past,” said Basir Ahmad, another resident of Kabul.

However, Abdul Rahim Rashid, the spokesman of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate said that the entire judiciary of the country is trying to solve the cases of citizens and will address their cases as soon as possible.

Rashid said over 46,000 criminal cases, cases of administrative corruption, and other issues were addressed in the nation in the first nine months of the 1402 solar year.

“People’s cases are addressed on time in courts. Only in the first 9 months of this year, 46,797 criminal cases were addressed, of which 30,347 civil criminal cases and 12,179 others are related to security and administrative corruption,” Rashid said.

Some analysts believe that the courts of the country should properly address people’s cases in a short time.

“The Islamic Emirate should work on a practical mechanism to investigate the cases so that it can be addressed on time and justice is applied in the decisions,” Aminullah Ehsas, a university lecturer, told TOLOnews.

According to the information of the Supreme Court, all the courts of the country are trying to improve their work process.

The spokesperson of the Supreme Court also added that they have addressed more than 4,000 cases of military personnel.

Citizens Criticize ‘Slow Process’ of Supreme Court
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Islamic Emirate Asks Countries for Flexibility in Recognizing Interim Govt

January 6, 2024
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News
6 Jan 2024

Meanwhile, analysts have different views regarding what should be done to solve the problem between the Islamic Emirate and the international community.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that they are trying to solve some challenges in the way of interaction of countries with the current Afghan government.

Although Mujahid expects the Islamic Emirate to be recognized in 2024, he said that in order for this to happen, the countries of the world should also show flexibility.

“This is not a one-way road and cannot look at it from one side. Organizations and some countries that stand in the way should show flexibility,” the spokesperson noted.

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate defined the conditions of the world regarding the recognition of the Islamic Emirate as follows:

“A country should have its boundaries, a nation, and an organization called the government, so they recognize it. What is considered as intervention is inclusion and non-inclusion and the nature of the system,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, analysts have different views regarding what should be done to solve the problem between the Islamic Emirate and the international community.

“The Islamic Emirate should, for the recognition of Afghanistan, implement the conditions that the United Nations had set for Afghanistan,” Janat Fahim Chakari, a political analyst told TOLOnews.

“They should act upon the will of the Afghan people, and rely on the rule of law and meritocracy, and change their policy regarding the treatment of Afghan women,” Najib Rahman Shamal, another political analyst, told TOLOnews.

Even though the Islamic Emirate has been in power for more than two years and has representatives in over 14 countries, some nations, including neighbors, still have embassies operating in Afghanistan. However, the Islamic Emirate has not yet received recognition from any nation.

Islamic Emirate Asks Countries for Flexibility in Recognizing Interim Govt
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Unemployment, Debt Has Increased in Afghanistan: Biruni Institute

January 6, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
6 Jan 2024

In this assessment, which interviewed 300 people, the social and economic evaluation of the citizens in the capital was discussed.

Biruni Institute, an Afghanistan-based group, said in an assessment that after the Islamic Emirate came to power, the unemployment rate among men has increased by 31% and among women by 8% in the country.

The assessment of the Biruni Institute said: “The share of indebted households in our sample increased from 30% in July 2021 to 67% in July 2023, more than doubling over the two years. To make ends meet after losing their sources of income, 15% of sample households were forced to liquidate land, property, and other less valuable assets.”

In this assessment, which interviewed 300 people, the social and economic evaluation of the citizens in the capital was discussed.

Bahara, who has created a sewing workshop for 50 women and girls, said that her workshop was prosperous in past years but now the market for selling their products has become very weak. she said that one of the reasons for the slowing of the market is the weak economy of families.

Bahara, a female entrepreneur, told TOLOnews: “Economic problems among males and females in Afghanistan have increased and they cannot afford to buy clothes.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy said that the caretaker government is trying to implement entrepreneurial projects to improve the economy of the people in the country.

The deputy Minister of Economy, Abdul Latif Nazari, said: “Our hope is that we can gradually take serious steps in eradicating poverty and unemployment this year.”

Samiullah Ebrahimi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, said: “During this year, the ministry has distributed about 100,000 work permits to our compatriots, and this means that the recipients of the permits got jobs in the emirate’s offices or in the private sector.”

Some analysts believe that Afghanistan witnessed a decline in GDP growth after 2021. They want the Islamic Emirate to invest in strengthening agriculture and human development in the country in order to reduce the level of poverty in the country.

“This research provides valuable information regarding the social and economic status of families in the last two years in Kabul and shows that unemployment has increased by 40% among urban families,” said Mir Shekib Mir, an economic analyst.

The increase in poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan is one of the major concerns of international aid organizations.

Unemployment, Debt Has Increased in Afghanistan: Biruni Institute
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Kabul Has ‘Counterterrorism Commitments’: Miller

January 5, 2024
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News
5 Jan 2024

The Islamic Emirate said that not allowing Afghan soil to be used against other countries is the main strategy of the interim government.

Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US Department of State, said Washinton continues to make clear to the Taliban that they have counterterrorism commitments that it expects them to adhere to.

He made the remarks in a question about terrorist activity in Afghanistan.

“We maintain our capabilities to monitor the situation and respond to terrorist activity that we see despite the fact that there isn’t a more US presence in Afghanistan,” Miller said. “We demonstrated that when we took out the leader of al-Qaeda in July 2022, and we will continue to act to protect Americans.”

The Islamic Emirate said that not allowing Afghan soil to be used against other countries is the main strategy of the interim government.

“This is the strategy of the Islamic Emirate, to not allow the Afghan soil be used against other countries. This is both the strategy and commitment,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate spokesman.

The military analysts meanwhile said that the Islamic Emirate should make more efforts to counter the terrorist groups.

“To alleviate the allegations about Afghanistan, it is better that a joint committee of the neighboring countries including Afghanistan find the way of fighting the terrorists,” said Sarwar Niazai, military analyst.

“The Islamic Emirate should improve its relations with the neighboring countries in a bid to draw trust,” said Abdul Wahid Hakimi, a university instructor.

In August last year, US President Joe Biden in a live address announced the death of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

But the Islamic Emirate’s officials said that they have not found any details to prove that Ayman al-Zawahiri, former leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in Afghanistan.

Kabul Has ‘Counterterrorism Commitments’: Miller
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Iran Announces Plans for Afghanistan, Pakistan Borders

January 5, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
5 Jan 2024

Iran’s interior minister added that some parts of the border between Afghanistan and Iran are misused and this issue is dangerous for Iran.

Iran’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Wahidi, has announced the implementation of a plan to block some of the country’s borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ahmadi in an interview with Iranian news outlet (Isna) said that those border parts which faced vacuums and are misused will be prioritized in being blocked.

Iran’s interior minister added that some parts of the border between Afghanistan and Iran are misused and this issue is dangerous for Iran.

Isna quoted Ahmadi as saying: “The plan to block the border is a complete plan that has different dimensions and is not just a wall, and various things are done to block the border, and it is carried out by the General Staff of the Armed Forces and by various military and police forces at the border.”

At the same time, the Islamic Emirate said that there is no danger from Afghanistan to the neighboring countries, including Iran, and the neighboring countries should also pay attention to the security of their borders.

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said: “The smuggling route and the route that is misused, it is the right of a country to block them and we are also aware of the security. There is no problem from our side and they should also pay attention.”

Meanwhile, some international relations experts said that recent security problems in neighboring countries aroused their concerns about border security.

“The blocking of the border between Afghanistan and Iran by Iranian authorities after the Kerman explosion is an indirect accusation that terrorists are coming from Afghanistan and ruining Iran’s security,” said Aziz Maarej, an international relations expert.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs said that until now, the process of renewing border signs with Iran is 15% advanced.

According to the Ministry, Afghanistan has nearly 200 border signs and symbols on the border with Iran, and work is underway to reconstruct these signs.

Iran Announces Plans for Afghanistan, Pakistan Borders
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Envoys to Afghanistan to Meet: UN Chief’s Associate Spokesperson

January 5, 2024
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News
5 Jan 2024

The Islamic Emirate, meanwhile, called for an invitation of its representative in the meeting of the special envoy.

Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said that Secretary General Antonio Guterres intends to organize the second meeting of the country’s special envoys for Afghanistan at an appropriate time. “I don’t have the time to announce today,” she said.

“This is to cement international consensus on the way forward and to discuss the recommendations of the independent assessments,” she said.

Tremblay said that the mission of the UN Special Coordinator and Independent Assessor of the UN, Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu has been extended until the end of February.

The Islamic Emirate, meanwhile, called for an invitation of its representative in the meeting of the special envoy.

“Any meeting which is being held regarding Afghanistan, the presence of the representatives of the Islamic Emirate is needed. If the representative of the Islamic Emirate is not present, the meeting will undoubtedly not be effective,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.

International relations analyst, Wahid Faqiri, said: “The Afghan government should have a parallel movement regarding such meetings. Unfortunately, the Taliban government during the past two and a half years is making hurdles ahead of the international community instead of cooperating with it.”

Earlier, TASS quoted the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov as saying that the broad meeting on Afghanistan under the auspices of the UN may be conducted in mid-January.

Envoys to Afghanistan to Meet: UN Chief’s Associate Spokesperson
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