Shia Scholars Demand Non-Discriminatory Governance in Afghanistan

They said that the Shia people have been cooperative with the caretaker government under all circumstances and will support the Islamic system.

A number of Shia scholars asked the Islamic Emirate to govern Afghanistan without discrimination.

They said that the Shia people have been cooperative with the caretaker government under all circumstances and will support the Islamic system.

These religious scholars expressed their demands in a program titled “The Role of Scholars in the Spiritual Life of Muslims.”

“The leaders of the Islamic Emirate and scholars who are at the helm should think about religion in Afghanistan according to the Islamic system, without discrimination, prejudice, and personal inclinations,” said Bazel, a religious scholar.

“There must be elements and factors for a society to be alive and have a spiritual life,” said Misbah, another religious scholar.

According to them, for the betterment of society, it is necessary for religious scholars and the government to work together collaboratively.

“Both religious scholars and the government have a responsibility that is shared between the scholars and the rulers, which must be fulfilled for the people,” said Ali Dad, a religious scholar.

“If we say that the limits must be enforced, it is the duty of those who can implement God’s decree,” said Sadiq Afghan, another religious scholar.

Aminullah Zahed, head of Vice and Virtue at 18thPD, who was also present at the program, emphasized Islamic veiling in society.

“Currently, some women appear in the market looking like men, their hair and adornments visible from afar,” said Aminullah Zahed, head of Vice and Virtue at 18thPD.

Participants in this program once again emphasized the prevention of evil in the country and called for the creation of job opportunities for the youth.

Shia Scholars Demand Non-Discriminatory Governance in Afghanistan
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Japan to offer scholarships to Afghan students in collaboration with Aga Khan Foundation

The Japanese Embassy in Kabul announced the provision of scholarships for Afghan students. It stated that the selection process for these scholarships in 2025 will be conducted in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation.

In a statement published on the social network X on Saturday, May 11, the embassy mentioned that Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology will offer scholarships for master’s and doctoral programs to Afghan students in 2025.

The announcement also states that the selection process for these scholarships will be conducted with the assistance of the Aga Khan Foundation, and proficiency in English or Japanese is a key requirement for participating in this competition.

The number of scholarships to be awarded to Afghan students has not been specified.

Participants in this competition are required to submit their admission applications by the guidelines for government scholarships of this country (MEXT) to the address of this embassy.

Meanwhile, since the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, they have imposed several policies that restrict education in the country, particularly affecting the participation of women and girls in higher education.

These restrictions have been widely criticized internationally as they severely limit educational opportunities and personal growth.

Moreover, the Taliban’s approach to higher education has further isolated Afghan academia from global academic and cultural exchanges, impacting the country’s development and the future prospects of its youth.

This has led to a decrease in the quality of education and a significant reduction in international educational collaborations and scholarship opportunities for Afghan students.

Japan to offer scholarships to Afghan students in collaboration with Aga Khan Foundation
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Ministry Signs Contracts for Ruby and Barite Mines

Some of the investors who have invested in these mines pledged that the mining processes will also be carried out within the country.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) signed contracts for ruby mines in Jegdalek, Kabul, and barite in Herat with two companies.

Shahabuddin Delawar, the acting minister, stated that these two mines are valued at over $33 million and have been contracted for a period of 15 years.

“The ruby mine is located in Surobi District of Kabul, covering an area of 6.8 square kilometers, with a total investment of $27.5 million on this mine,” the acting minister of Mines and Petroleum added.

Some of the investors who have invested in these mines pledged that the mining processes will also be carried out within the country.

Abdul Rahim, an investor, said: “One of the necessities for oil drilling is barite, which will be extracted and powdered by us in the future to be used in these wells, making us self-sufficient in this field in Afghanistan.”

Several economic experts state that attention to the mining sector and the transparent awarding of contracts significantly impact the country’s economic growth.

Sayed Masoud, an economist, said: “In the mining sector, as it is non-renewable and used only once, it leaves a hole in the ground, which requires special conditions to operate and in fact involves assessing national benefits, regional prices, global issues, and transportation.”

Statistics from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum indicate that in the solar year 1402, fifteen major mining contracts were signed with domestic and foreign companies.

Ministry Signs Contracts for Ruby and Barite Mines
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Expressions of Sympathy, Calls for Assistance Mount for Flood Victims

Richard Bennett has described the recent floods in the country as indicative of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change.

Following the flooding in several provinces of the country, the Islamic Emirate has asked the people to cooperate with the caretaker government in aiding the affected individuals.

The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, expressing sympathy with the families of the victims in the provinces of Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Ghor, and Herat, stated that in an emergency meeting held to address the damages, directions have been given to the government ministries in charge of disaster response, internal affairs, public health, and local authorities to use all available resources to rescue the people.

Zabihullah Mujahid stated, “The Ministry of Disaster Management, as well as other relevant ministries including the Ministry of Health, have been ordered to fully address the needs of the disaster-stricken areas and to expedite aid to the region.”

Meanwhile, the former president Hamid Karzai, and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation in the former government, have called on businesses and aid organizations to urgently assist those affected by the floods.

The former President wrote, “I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and hope that aid organizations and national traders will assist the affected families.”

Abdullah Abdullah also wrote about the event, “We expect aid organizations and agencies to rush to assist the victims and strive to provide them with the basic necessities.”

On the other hand, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Representative for Human Rights and Women for Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union have also expressed their sympathy for the flood victims in Afghanistan.

Richard Bennett has described the recent floods in the country as indicative of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change.

Bennett said, “Recent floods in Afghanistan including Baghlan which claimed many lives, are a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis & both immediate aid and long term planning by the Taliban & international actors are needed. Condolences to the families of vicitims.”

The US special envoy for Afghan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, has asked the caretaker government to utilize the capabilities of all community members to counter the damage caused by climate change.

Amiri added, “My heart goes out to the victims of the recent flooding in Afghanistan which took numerous lives & caused significant damage. To tackle the ravages of climate change, the Taliban must leverage the power of the entire population & remove crippling restrictions on women & girls.”

Abdul Zuhoor Mudabir, an economic affairs expert, told TOLOnews, “Floods are a natural disaster that can negatively impact the economy, therefore it is the responsibility of the government, donor institutions, and traders not to leave the affected people alone.”

The recent floods in the country have caused extensive casualties and severe financial damage to the citizens. These floods have mostly occurred in remote villages, leaving the people in dire need of assistance as they lose their homes and possessions.

Expressions of Sympathy, Calls for Assistance Mount for Flood Victims
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Flooding in Baghlan: The Scope of Disaster Expands

Mohammad Sarwar, a flood victim in Baghlan, told a TOLOnews: “We are three families; nothing is left here. All the people are affected.”

Following the deadly floods in four districts of Baghlan, to date, 130 people have died, and approximately 100 others have been injured.

Local officials in Baghlan Province stated that the death toll may rise.

According to officials, more than a thousand residential homes, thousands of hectares of agricultural land, and hundreds of heads of livestock have also been lost in the floods.

Alam Majidi, the spokesperson for the governor of Baghlan, told TOLOnews: “The figures we have received so far indicate that the death toll has reached 130, and the number of injured has reached 100.”

Meanwhile, those who have lost relatives in yesterday’s floods (Friday) are calling on the interim government and both domestic and international organizations to address the challenges and rescue those who are trapped.

Mohammad Zaher, a flood victim from Baghlan, told a TOLOnews reporter: “Most of the bodies have not yet been found, and their loved ones are searching for them. Just now, we have buried twenty bodies.”

Mohammad Zalmay, another flood victim in Baghlan, said: ‘More than five hundred homes have been destroyed, and about four hundred people have been killed or injured.’

On the other hand, the World Food Programme has reported the death toll from these floods to be over 300, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has stated the figure to be at least 200.

Mohammad Sarwar, a flood victim in Baghlan, told a TOLOnews reporter: “We are three families; nothing is left here. All the people are affected.”

The districts of Burka, Nahrin, Guzargah Noor, Khost wa Fereng and the suburbs of Pul-e Khumri, the center of Baghlan Province, witnessed devastating floods in the afternoon yesterday (Friday).

Flooding in Baghlan: The Scope of Disaster Expands
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Taliban trying to normalise ties, install appointees in India: Afghan diplomat

The Hindu
10 May 2024
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq acknowledged the reports on the Taliban’s attempt to appoint a replacement for Zakia Wardak, former Consul General in Mumbai
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq. File

Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq. File | Photo Credit: X/@faiq_naseer

Days after Afghanistan’s most senior diplomat in India resigned over charges of smuggling, diplomats still loyal to the previous democratic regime in Kabul warn that the Taliban is making another attempt to install a nominee in India and urged India and other countries not to “normalise” ties with the Taliban. The warnings came amidst turmoil within Afghanistan’s Delhi Embassy and Consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad and a scandal involving a top diplomat accused of smuggling gold, that has left the missions in India practically leader-less.

A similar attempt to appoint a Charge d’Affaires was thwarted last year after local staff locked the Embassy gates and refused to allow Qadir Shah, who was carrying a letter from the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, into the premises in May 2023. In September, the previous regime’s Ambassador Farid Mamundzay then announced he was leaving India and shutting down the embassy owing to a “lack of support” from the MEA, accusing New Delhi of softening its position towards the Taliban that took Kabul by force in August 2021. However, the Embassy was kept open for consular services for approximately 25,000 Afghans living in India, with a skeletal staff of about a dozen, and was run jointly by Mumbai Consul General Zakia Wardak, a political appointee from the previous Ghani government who had also been engaging with the Taliban regime in Kabul, and Hyderabad Consul General Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil.

The MEA declined to comment on the latest developments, and officials said they were not aware of the attempt by the Taliban to appoint a diplomat in India. Since reopening the Indian Embassy in Kabul in June 2022, the government has been engaging regularly with Taliban officials, and the MEA’s Joint Secretary for Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan J.P. Singh met with the Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi most recently in March this year.

Calling Ms. Wardak’s case an “embarrassment” for all Afghan diplomatic missions, Mr. Faiq said that “nepotism and corruption were among the greatest challenges under the former Republic [Ghani government] and this still exists under the Taliban regime”.

Taliban trying to normalise ties, install appointees in India: Afghan diplomat
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Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban

Nangarhar province, Afghanistan
Nangarhar province, Afghanistan

At least four people were reported killed on Thursday during clashes between protesters and Taliban security forces in eastern Afghanistan.

Residents in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, held a demonstration after being told by Taliban authorities to vacate their homes for the construction of a customs clearing facility, according to witnesses and officials.

Protesters blocked a busy highway linking Afghanistan to Pakistan and refused to allow the destruction of their properties. Taliban security forces fired gunshots to disperse the crowd and clear the highway to allow trade convoys to resume their journey in both directions, eyewitnesses reported.

An area information and culture department spokesperson confirmed the clashes, saying residents “created chaos in response” to the official order. Arafat Mohajer said that the violence resulted in the death of a Taliban officer and “a number of people who were occupying the [state[ land [illegally].” He did not share further details.

Protesters refuted the official claims, saying they had the deeds and owned the land.

A resident in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, confirmed to VOA by phone that firing by Taliban security forces killed three protesters.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan three years ago and faced no public opposition to their hard-line policies until this month.

Last week, farmers and residents took to the streets in northeastern Badakhshan province to protest the eradication of poppy fields by the Taliban counternarcotics units.

Security forces opened fire to disperse the demonstrators, killing two people.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation and production, usage, transportation and trade of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan.

Some information for this report came from AFP.

Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban
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Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP

Khaama Press

The World Food Programme has recently published statistics showing that currently, three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition.

On Friday, May 10, the organization announced on its social platform X that the World Food Programme can only support one of every three children.

The World Food Programme has emphasized that the reduction in aid in Afghanistan directly affects the children there. The organization adds that addressing their situation requires sustainable financing.

Previously, the health section of the United Nations had reported that the number of women suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan last year reached 1.2 million.

Mona Sheikh, the head of nutrition at the World Food Programme, had earlier stated that the number of women suffering from malnutrition is expected to increase this year. She also mentioned that the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the country this year will reach 3 million, but only 1.6 million will receive assistance.

While the World Food Programme has released these statistics, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that 23.7 million people will need immediate humanitarian aid in 2024.

The agency announced that despite the reduction in conflicts, the people of Afghanistan still have a serious need for humanitarian aid. The agency’s statement mentions that out of the 23.7 million people who need humanitarian assistance, 5.9 million are women, and 5.4 million are men.

Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP
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Kabul, Islamabad Trade Accusations of Harboring Terrorists

10 May 2024

Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry called upon the Islamic Emirate to address the looming threat posed by terrorist entities.

Reacting to assertions made by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate, the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry swiftly dismissed claims of Pakistani soil being utilized for hostile activities against Afghanistan as entirely unfounded

“With such effective measures, they should be able to demonstrate that these terror groups do not have sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch the spokesperson for the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said as quoted by Express Tribune.

Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.

“We have cases where ISIS extremists have entered Afghanistan from Pakistani soil and are using it against us,” said Enayatullah Khwarizmi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.

Citing recent remarks from the Pakistani army spokesperson alleging the misuse of Afghan soil against Pakistan, tensions between Kabul and Islamabad reignited last Tuesday.

While historical tensions between the two nations are not uncommon, the recent escalation begs the question: what precipitated this latest flare-up in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Mohammad Matin Mohammad Khel, a military affairs expert, said: “This is a false claim aimed at diverting attention from their own failures to Afghanistan. They are fanning these issues when there is no such thing.”

Sadiq Shinwari, another military affairs expert, said: “It is nothing more than an excuse. Pakistan is attempting a new scenario against Afghanistan.”

Amid increasing insecurity in Pakistan, the country has repeatedly accused the caretaker government of harboring terrorist groups on its soil; however, the Islamic Emirate has consistently denied these accusations.

Kabul, Islamabad Trade Accusations of Harboring Terrorists
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2 Killed, 4 Injured During Protests in Nangarhar

The day before, after the Kuchi protests in the ninth district of Jalalabad and subsequent gunfire, two were killed and four others were injured.

Following the deaths of two individuals in Nangarhar, local officials state that it is unclear who fired upon the protesters.

Local authorities in Nangarhar say the purpose of the land clearance related to the customs is to expand the Nangarhar customs area. Prior notice had been given to the residents of this area to evacuate.

Abdul Basir Zabuli, the spokesperson for the Nangarhar Security Command, stated: “When security forces and customs officials started their work here, the Kuchis launched an armed attack on the security personnel, which according to unconfirmed reports resulted in two Kuchis killed and four others injured.”

Qureshi Badloon, Director of Information for the Nangarhar Department of Information and Culture, said: “In the area where there was controversy and the customs wall was crossing, it was decided that no work would proceed from the customs side and the people would also stop their protests. The matter has now been sent to the leadership, and everyone is waiting for a decision.”

This comes after the commencement of clearance work on the lands related to the Nangarhar customs from the presence of Kuchi residents who had illegally built homes and settled there, leading to their protests.

Local residents say that more than 7,000 families have been living in this area for about 30 years.

They add that they are not opposed to the development of the Nangarhar customs, but the area should be legally handed over to them.

Nematullah Baz, a prominent Kuchi leader, said: “Previous governments had also told us not to build homes on a thousand jeribs of customs land, and that we could build homes in the plains instead.”

Minedar Ahmadzai, a local resident, said: “We ask the government to identify the perpetrators of yesterday’s incident.”

However, local officials in Nangarhar report that a commission has been appointed to investigate and identify the killers and to also resolve the controversies that have arisen between customs officials and local residents.

2 Killed, 4 Injured During Protests in Nangarhar
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