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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First Waterway Between Kamal Khan Dam and Zaranj Opens

January 5, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
5 Jan 2024

Some farmers who have been affected by recent droughts are happy with the completion of work on this canal.

The work of a canal that brings the Kamal Khan dam to the city of Zaranj , the capital of Nimroz province, has been completed and put into operation.

This canal was built at a cost of 80 million afghani in four months.

Ghulam Nabi, a farmer, said that he has not been able to cultivate and work for himself for three years due to lack of water.

He is happy for the creation of this canal and to be able to work again.

“There was no water and we lost everything because everything we planted was lost due to the lack of water,” Ghulam Nabi told TOLOnews.

Abdul Hadi Hadi, head of marine department of the Helmand river, said: “The water of this dam will speed up and flow into the Lashkari canal, from which the needs of the people of Nimroz will be solved.”

“This project is 24 kilometers long and 25 meters wide, and cost 80 million afghani, which was scheduled to end in six months, we finished it in four months,” said Juma Khan Tawjagi, the manager of the construction company.

Some farmers who have been affected by recent droughts are happy with the completion of work on this canal.

“Our hope is back because we want water for our cultivation,” said Hamidullah, a farmer.

Nimroz local officials said that this canal is effective in the field of agricultural development in Zaranj city and its surrounding villages.

Abdul Qayum Rohani, deputy governor of Nimroz, said: “The Islamic Emirate has tried to provide drinking water to the people of Nimroz first, and we have done this so that you can see the water wells that have been dug for kilometers.”

Kamal Khan Dam was put into operation by the previous government about five years ago for the purpose of developing the agricultural sector; however, due to recent droughts and non-activation of the canals of this dam, there were no changes in the agricultural situation in this warm area province.

First Waterway Between Kamal Khan Dam and Zaranj Opens
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Afghan People’s Fund Accumulated $155M: Mehrabi

January 5, 2024
By Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
5 Jan 2024

According to him, the initiative ultimately serves to enhance the well-being of the Afghan people.

Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, Central Bank supreme council member and board member of the Afghan Trust Fund in Switzerland, said that the Afghan people’s fund has experienced substantial growth, with accumulated revenue totaling $155 million.

In a video clip to TOLOnews, Mehrabi said: “This significant advancement underscores the steadfast commitment of the fund to its fundamental mission, safeguarding, preserving and allocating its $3.5 billion in assets to support foreign exchange rate and price stabilization objectives in Afghanistan.”

According to him, the initiative ultimately serves to enhance the well-being of the Afghan people.

Mehrabi also emphasized that the fund is tailored for economic purposes and that it is not ear-marked for humanitarian initiatives.

Meanwhile, economists said that the revenue of the Afghan Trust Fund should be used for the stabilization of the afghani and the economic improvement of Afghanistan.

“This money should be invested in power improvement and the banking sector,” said Mohammad Nabi Afghan, an economist.

Some of the frozen Central Bank reserves were transferred from Washington into the “Fund for the Afghan People” last year where US officials said it will be shielded from the Islamic Emirate, according to Reuters.

Afghan People’s Fund Accumulated $155M: Mehrabi
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Mujahid Reacts to UNAMA, Saying Arrests Based on ‘Information’

January 4, 2024
Hadia Ziaei
Tolo News
4 Jan 2024

“UNAMA urges an end to arbitrary arrests. Rights to family, lawyers, care, fair trial must be upheld,” it said.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, responded to UNAMA’s request to cease arbitrary arrests by saying that all arrests are done in accordance with the law.

Mujahid pointed out that the arrests are not arbitrary and that the claims made by UNAMA are questionable.

“If someone was arrested on the basis of any information or suspicions, they were detained and later released, which means that no one had experienced injustice or mistreatment, so this is not true,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.

UNAMA on X said that “continued arbitrary detention of Afghanistan girls’ education advocates Ahmad Fahim Azimi & Sadiqullah Afghan & women’s rights activist Munizha Sediqi since October is worrying.”

“UNAMA urges an end to arbitrary arrests. Rights to family, lawyers, care, fair trial must be upheld,” it said.

Meanwhile, some women’s rights activists asked the Islamic Emirate to provide more facilities for women in the country.

“We ask them to pay attention to women’s jobs. Whatever the law is, they should announce that according to this law, you can do whatever job you want,” said Tafsir Siyaposh, a women’s rights activist.

“I ask the Islamic Emirate’s government to free women’s rights advocates and education rights advocates as soon as possible and let them continue their activities,” said Hadis Shamal, another women’s rights activist.

This comes as in the most recent case, after more than three months in detention, women’s rights activists Neda Parwani and Zhulia Parsi were both released from the Islamic Emirate’s custody.

Mujahid Reacts to UNAMA, Saying Arrests Based on ‘Information’
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Resolution Shows UNSC Support for Reintegration of Afghanistan

January 4, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
4 Jan 2024

Meanwhile, some political analysts urged the two sides to consider each other’s demands in a bid to pave the way for engagement.

In response to a question regarding the United Nations resolution about Afghanistan, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the resolution shows that the UNSC supports a “process by which Afghanistan is integrated into the international community only by meeting its international obligations.”

In a press briefing Miller said: “We do support the resolution.”

“The resolution has called for a UN special envoy for Afghanistan. It is our belief that a special envoy would be well-positioned to coordinate international engagement on Afghanistan to achieve the objectives laid out in the resolution,” he said.

Miller said that Washington thinks “the resolution sends a clear message to the Taliban, to the Afghan people, and to the world” about UNSC’s support for reintegration of Afghanistan into the international community.

However, he expresses concerns regarding the “Taliban’s repressive edicts against women and girls and its unwillingness to foster inclusive governance.”

“The decisions that it has made risk irreparable damage to Afghanistan’s society and move the Taliban further away from normalizing relations with the international community,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the international community should initially recognize the interim Afghan government and then present their offers.

“Unfortunately, the UN has not fulfilled its responsibilities regarding Afghanistan. They should fulfill their responsibilities. They should accept the Islamic Emirate as part of the international community and give the rights of the Islamic Emirate… it is early that they are now talking. The appointment of the special envoy is unnecessary,” he said.

Meanwhile, some political analysts urged the two sides to consider each other’s demands in a bid to pave the way for engagement.

“To end this isolation, the Islamic Emirate should accept those five points which the international community has mentioned,” said Wahid Faqiri, international relations analyst.

Earlier, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday co-penned by the UAE and Japan that focuses on a path for Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community referencing the recently completed independent assessment on Afghanistan.

Resolution Shows UNSC Support for Reintegration of Afghanistan
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