Kabul to be engaged diplomatically on repatriation of illegal foreigners

November 29, 2023

UMER FAROOQ

Dawn

27 Nov 2023

PESHAWAR: Authorities have decided to engage Kabul and other foreign missions diplomatically to stress importance of seamless repatriation of illegal foreigners, according to documents.

The documents showed that participants of a meeting decided to assure Afghan embassy in the federal capital and other foreign missions about Pakistan’s all out support to repatriation of illegal foreigners with dignity and respect.

“It was also decided that the complaints and allegations of maltreatment or deportation of legal foreigners may be scrutinised to determine the facts on case to case basis and the outcome should be shared with the ministry of foreign affairs for briefing international community whenever required,” said the documents.The meeting, held on Saturday in the federal capital, decided that voluntary repatriation should be facilitated with full motivation alongside planned deportation in consultation with the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Meeting decides to scrutinise complaints about deportation of legal immigrants

Officials said that instances of deportation of Afghan nationals possessing Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) were reported, which was not part of the current phase of illegal foreigners repatriation plan (IFRP). They termed it the reason for holding the meeting.

They said that Afghan border authorities had halted intake of deportees on the pretext that they were in possession of valid documents, which permitted their stay in Pakistan.The meeting decided to take an undertaking about non-possession of PoR and ACC from the deportees at the time of generating Nadra manifest at transit points, said the documents. The undertaking could be in the form of endorsement of finger thumb impression against the picture on the manifest so that it could be provided as evidence whenever challenged.

A senior official said that the Nadra manifest, generated at the transit point, was not backed with PoR and ACC data besides blocked Computerised National Identity Cards. He added that the verification process of PoR and ACC holders was not wholesome across the board which created problems for deportation at the border.

He also suggested that the control rooms of ministry of interior and those in provinces, with active and manned foreigner nationals’ security dashboard, should be approached telephonically for verification of PoR and ACC holders.

Another official said that following the concerns expressed by Afghan side on deportation of PoR and ACC holders, halting the deportation process was not advisable instead alternate crossing points might be utilised for the purpose.

Officials said that Afghan government was desirous that consultation should be made with its consulates during the deportation process for verification of the nationality of the deportees.

Others, however, said that those illegal foreigners, who were denied identification by foreign missions including the Afghan embassy, would face hardships arrest and confinement to jails under the laws.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2023

Kabul to be engaged diplomatically on repatriation of illegal foreigners
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Pakistani Currency Against US Dollar Drops By 20% in 2023: Bloomberg

November 29, 2023
Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
28 Nov 2023

The Ministry of Economy (MoE) said the reason for the Afghan currency’s stability is a surge in producing and exportation.

Bloomberg, in a story titled Asia’s Worst-Performing Currency Heads for Another Tough Year, reported the fall of the Pakistani Rupee by 20% versus the dollar in 2023.

According to Bloomberg: “Analysts say its troubles are far from over. BMI expects the currency will weaken to 350 rupees per dollar by the end of next year, while Karachi-based brokerage Topline Securities Ltd. sees it depreciating to 324 rupees per dollar. It closed at 285.64 rupees per dollar on Monday.”

However, the price of the Afghani currency compared to the regional currencies, particularly Pakistani rupees and Iran’s currency, remained stable.

The Ministry of Economy (MoE) said the reason for the Afghan currency’s stability is a surge in producing and exportation.

“The value of our national currency against foreign currencies has significantly increased. The reasons, such as a surge in export, growth in producing and use of national currency in all provinces of Afghanistan, as well as development and economic actions, have been influential in this regard,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy minister of Economy.

However, economists said that proper actions of the Central Bank and the prevention of smuggling dollars abroad are the main reason for the Afghan currency’s stability against foreign currencies.

“Increase in actions to prevent smuggling of currency abroad caused the Afghani currency to be fairly stable against the dollar,” said Mir Shikib, an economist.

“The continuation of international assistance, which includes weekly cash packages of $40 million and online trade of the central bank” caused the stability of Afghani currency, said Seyar Qureshi, an economist.

Pakistani Currency Against US Dollar Drops By 20% in 2023: Bloomberg
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Tehran Again Calls for Inclusive Govt in Afghanistan

November 29, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
28 Nov 2023

Meanwhile, a number of political analysts said that specialized people should be given a place in the government.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again emphasized the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said that Tehran is looking for peace and stability in Afghanistan and he called the regional efforts important in this field.

“The security of Afghanistan is the security of Iran. In this framework, we believe in the usefulness of regional efforts and mechanisms to help consolidate peace and stability in Afghanistan. Our basic approach in relation to Afghanistan is to establish a government that represents the entire nation of Afghanistan,” said Kanaani.

But, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that the current government of Afghanistan is inclusive and countries should not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

“Firstly, countries should not interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs. The nature of the system, inclusion and non-inclusion in the system is related to the people of Afghanistan. Our current system is inclusive and representatives of all Afghans are present in it,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, a number of political analysts said that specialized people should be given a place in the government.

“There is no inclusive government in Iran either, but I can say that in Afghanistan, work should be entrusted to professionals, because it can be useful for solving problems and developing the country,” Aziz Maarej, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.

At the same time, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and a number of other countries have also emphasized the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

Tehran Again Calls for Inclusive Govt in Afghanistan
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Amnesty Intl, OCHA Raise Concerns About Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

November 28, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
28 Nov 2023
This organization has called for an end to the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Amnesty International and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have expressed concern about the violation of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The statement of Amnesty International said that the “Taliban” did not fulfill what they promised about women’s rights in Afghanistan.

This organization has called for an end to the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan.

In a part of the statement of Amnesty International said: “Not only the Taliban de-facto authorities have broken their promise of protecting Afghan people’s rights, especially women’s rights, they have resumed the cycle of violence and committed a litany of human rights abuses and violations with full impunity.”

Amnesty International called for respect and guaranteed protection of human rights in Afghanistan.

At the same time, OCHA also expressed concern about the increase in human rights violations against women in Afghanistan and called Afghanistan one of the most challenging countries in the world for women.

OCHA added: “Even before the Taliban de facto authorities (DfA) took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, it was already one of the world’s most difficult countries in which to be a woman, both personally and professionally. But since the takeover, the hurdles facing women – especially those living in rural areas – have only grown.”

“We witness that any demonstration or any protest is suppressed and protesters are illegally imprisoned and tortured,” said  Zaman Sultani, Amnesty International’s South Asia Researcher.

“Our request to the government of the Islamic Emirate is to reach the rights of all the people of Afghanistan, especially women, to open the closed doors, and everything that is the right of women in the Afghan society today should be given to them,” said Tafsir Syahposh, a women’s rights activist.

But the Islamic Emirate, rejecting the findings of these two institutions, said that the rights of all citizens of the country are protected.

“In Afghanistan, people have their rights and we are trying to ensure that the rights of our people are still respected. The government is Islamic, it recognizes the rights of the people and has pledged to grant them their rights and they do not have to worry,” Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, the 16-day annual campaign aimed at supporting women around the world was launched on November 25 and runs to December 10, which is International Human Rights Day.

Amnesty Intl, OCHA Raise Concerns About Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
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Regional Engagement Called For at Herat Security Dialogue

November 28, 2023
 TOLOnews
TV Network
28 Nov 2023

The session was attended by Afghan opposition figures and envoys of more than 20 countries and organizations.

The participants of the Herat Security Dialogue (HSD) in their second day of meeting stressed the importance of a regional agreement and the role of the regional countries to solve the issue of Afghanistan.

The 11th session of the Herat Security Dialogue was held on Monday and Tuesday in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.

The session was attended by Afghan opposition figures and envoys of more than 20 countries and organizations.

“Russia cannot solve the Afghan crisis [itself] unrealistic… Russia tried to use regional countries for solving these problems, not destabilization of Afghanistan because for us, destabilization of Afghanistan is a very huge problem,” said Vladimir Evseev, Head of CIS Institute.

“[In] most countries, in the United Kingdom for example, there is no united opposition. It is unrealistic to expect complete unity, but I think it is realistic for Afghans to have a common enough vision for the future,” said Nicholas Kay, former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan.

“Practically, what is likely to, what is my recommendation, coming from my background; if today any of our country, India, Pakistan or Iran were to offer some help with the Taliban to fight Daesh, it is a common enemy of all of us. All three of us. It is quite possible that we can work together,” said Mohammad Asad Durrani, former head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. “Do not underestimate the capacity of the intelligence agencies to work together.”

However, the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the meeting.

Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst, urged the Taliban to bring reforms to their policies.

“The Taliban should accept reforms, otherwise, they will face opposition in the future,” he said.

Regional Engagement Called For at Herat Security Dialogue
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4 Employees of Germany’s Main Aid Agency Arrested in Afghanistan

November 27, 2023

Voice of America

November 26, 2023

FILE - A local aid worker from pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with aid supplies outside a distribution center as a Taliban fighter secures the area, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2021.
FILE – A local aid worker from pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with aid supplies outside a distribution center as a Taliban fighter secures the area, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2021.
BERLIN — Taliban authorities in Afghanistan arrested four local employees of Germany’s main government-owned aid agency, according to the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

“I can confirm that the local employees of GIZ are in custody although we have not received any official information on why they are detained,” a ministry spokesperson told the Associated Press in a statement late Saturday.

“We are taking this situation very seriously and are working through all channels available to us to ensure that our colleagues are released,” she added.

The German Agency for International Cooperation, or GIZ, is owned by the German government. It operates in around 120 countries worldwide, offering projects and services in the areas of “economic development, employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security,” according to the agency’s website.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from the country. Many foreign missions, including the German embassy in Kabul, closed their offices.

The Taliban initially promised a more moderate approach than during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001 but gradually reimposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Girls were banned from education beyond the sixth grade and women were barred from working, studying, traveling without a male companion, and even going to parks or bathhouses and were forced to cover up from head to toe.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in September that human rights are in a state of collapse in Afghanistan more than two years following the Taliban’s return to power and stripped back institutional protections at all levels.

4 Employees of Germany’s Main Aid Agency Arrested in Afghanistan
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Herat Security Dialogue to Discuss Afghan Situation Held in Dushanbe

November 27, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
27 Nov 2023

Some of the participants criticized the double standard policy of the international community towards Afghanistan.

More than 150 high profile people including opposition figures of the Islamic Emirate, analysts and envoys of many countries and international organizations attended the 11th Herat Security Dialogue, where they exchanged views on the situation of Afghanistan.

The participants discussed the political and security situation of Afghanistan as well as the status of women and provision of humanitarian assistance to the country.

Some of the participants criticized the double standard policy of the international community towards Afghanistan.

“The international community is facing three lacks, the region is facing three lacks: lack of clarity, lack of vision and lack of consensus. Right now, we are hearing different.

Some countries in the region call Afghanistan a black hole, some call it white hole, some call it an opportunity,” said Rahmatullah Nabil, former chief of the Afghanistan National Directorate of Security.

“In our report, we pointed out that the lack of a coordinated international and regional strategy is vital to address Afghanistan, neighbors—the policy neighbors, first, because we have seen Central Asia states, (their) different positions on Afghanistan,” said Esther Zubairi, head of the UN analytical team on al-Qaeda/Taliban, Spain.

The participants also talked about “gender apartheid” against women in Afghanistan. They called for practical steps to be taken to address the situation of women.

“The special rapporteur of the UN is presenting reports that puts salts on our wounds,” said Shukria Barakzai, a former member of the parliament.

“It is the women of Afghanistan who are resisting the Taliban occupation in real terms right now within Afghanistan and outside; so we have to acknowledge it because they are not just fighting for their rights, they are fighting for the rights of women in the region and women beyond,” said Bushra Gohar, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

This is the second time that Dushanbe is hosting the Herat Security Dialogue.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet made any comment regarding this summit.

Herat Security Dialogue to Discuss Afghan Situation Held in Dushanbe
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Pakistan’s Mass Expulsion Turns Past Good Will Into ‘Hostility’: Haqqani

November 27, 2023
Naveed Samadi
Tolo News
27 Nov 2023

Addressing the same gathering, provincial governor Mohammad Amin Omari called on the citizens to help with the deportees.

The acting Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said that Pakistan—as one of the hosting countries of Afghan refugees—has turned all its good actions regarding the Afghan refugees over the past decades, into hostility.

Speaking at a gathering in Ghazni where he was on a visit, Haqqani said that the deportation of the Afghan refugees is against all national and international laws.

“The current decision is unfair because there was a long time of goodness but this [decision] changed the goodness into hostility. It was not only against norms of the Afghans but the whole world,” he said.

Addressing the same gathering, provincial governor Mohammad Amin Omari called on the citizens to help with the deportees.

“I call on the whole nation. There will be sessions in all districts and a committee will be hired for the refugees,” he said.

Meanwhile, some of the provincial elders urged the Islamic Emirate’s officials to not downplay Ghazni and pay attention to the province.

“May we be having each other together as we had in the past and I hope it will be the same in the future,” said Sayed Gul, a tribal elder.

Haqqani earlier visited many Afghan refugees at Torkham, the main crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, located in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Pakistan’s Mass Expulsion Turns Past Good Will Into ‘Hostility’: Haqqani
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President of Uzbekistan: Afghanistan is Critical to Regional Stability

November 25, 2023
 Fatema Adeeb
Tolo News
25 Nov 2023

According to some political analysts, the presence of the representative of the Islamic Emirate is beneficial for taking a stand in such meetings.

The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, said that Afghanistan is critical to stability in the region.

Speaking at the First Summit of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia, Mirziyoyev said that a positive outcome cannot be achieved without engaging the current Afghan government in international dialogue.

“For certain reasons, today’s meeting is taking place without the participation of representatives from Afghanistan, even though this country is an integral part of Central Asia and is critical to regional stability. I urge my esteemed colleagues, the leadership of UNECE and ESCAP to establish working relations and restore cooperation with Afghanistan as part of the SPECA Program. We cannot afford to leave this country alone with its problems. A positive outcome cannot be achieved without engaging the current Government in international dialogue,” the President of Uzbekistan said.

“Afghanistan is without a doubt the key to regional stability, but Afghanistan itself needs stability, and the key to Afghanistan’s stability is to consider people’s freedoms and ethnic participation in power,” said Sayed Javad Sajadi, a political analyst.

According to some political analysts, the presence of the representative of the Islamic Emirate is beneficial for taking a stand in such meetings.

“If there is a representative of Afghanistan in such meetings, it is natural that he will reflect the positions of the Afghan people there, he will reflect the wishes of the Afghan people, and it is natural that he will answer the questions about Afghanistan, and this is very important for the people of Afghanistan,” Khalil Ahmad Nadim, a political analyst told TOLOnews.

“Any opponent and any enemy can accuse Afghanistan there if Afghan diplomats are not present at world meetings,” Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.

Afghanistan was admitted as a member of the United Nations Special Programme for Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in May 2005.

President of Uzbekistan: Afghanistan is Critical to Regional Stability
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Shaheen: UN Using Afghanistan’s Seat to Pressure Kabul

November 25, 2023
Naweed Samadi
Tolo News
25 Nov 2023

He said the current Afghan government needs to take into account the legitimate demands of the people of Afghanistan.

Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Islamic Emirate’s Qatar-based Political Office, said the UN acted without neutrality in determining the seat of Afghanistan.

In an interview with RTA, Shaheen said that the UN uses Afghanistan’s seat in the organization as pressure on the Islamic Emirate, urging the organization to handover the seat to the current Afghan government.

“This [UN] is a big organization and they always talk about law and legality and human rights and they claim to be neutral, but they are not neutral in this position,” he noted.

He said the current Afghan government needs to take into account the legitimate demands of the people of Afghanistan.

“We should also take into account the wishes of the people and pay attention to those issues, not because we accept the wishes of foreigners definitively, but for the sake of the people,” Suhail Shaheen further noted.

The head of the Islamic Emirate’s Qatar-based Political Office added that the meetings that have been held in connection with Afghanistan in the past two years without the presence of a representative of the Islamic Emirate, have not had any results for the country and will not have any results in the future either.

Shaheen called the existence of the Islamic Emirate’s Qatar-based Political Office the political gateway of the Islamic Emirate to the world, saying that thirteen embassies of foreign countries for Afghanistan operate from Qatar.

“In addition to the Qatar political office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to become more active so that Afghanistan’s diplomatic relations and foreign policy become better than this,” said Najibullah Jami, a political analyst.

“The office can also be a good mediator because they can effectively solve the issue of Afghanistan, which is an economic and political crisis and it has not been recognized yet,” said Javid Momand, a university lecturer.

Suhail Shaheen continued to criticize the United States for its failure to live up to its promises, saying that not a single one of its agreements with the Islamic Emirate of Doha has been met.

He emphasized that world perceptions of the current Afghan government have changed over the past two years, and that there are hopes for the Islamic Emirate to be recognized.

Shaheen: UN Using Afghanistan’s Seat to Pressure Kabul
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