Afghan conflict ends but  economic problems surging

KABUL (Pajhwok): Conflicts have come to an end in Afghanistan but abnormal interactions between the newly formed government and the world have been resulting in huge economic problems in the country.

• IMF says worried about humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
• World promises over a billion US dollar in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
• China: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries should assist Afghanistan.
• Russia: SCO countries should restore their relations with Kabul
• Uzbekistan: Afghanistan money frozen in international banks should be issued
• International Union of Muslim Scholars pledge support to the new Afghan government.
• HRW: Taliban did not implement pledges regarding women’s rights.
• ZalmaiKhalilzad says the current situation in Afghanistan stems from Ashraf Ghani abrupt fleeing.
• Amir Khan Muttaqi about international pressures says that Afghanistan is a country faced with economic issues and the world should not mount more pressure on it as such practices were futile in the past.

Attacks and civilian casualties:

The past 40-year conflict finally comes to an end after the Taliban captured Panjshir province on September 6. Last week may be marked as the second week in the past decades in which no civilian was killed or injured and no conflict related incidents happened.

However, according to reports, eight people were killed and six others injured in various incidents last week.

A person was injured in a targeted attack in Kandahar province. Former police chief of Gizab district of Uruzgan province was killed, an electricity worker was killed and four civilians injured in an explosion in Kunduz province. A person was found beheaded in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province. No groups or individuals have so far claimed responsibility for these incidents.

On the other hand, five kidnappers were killed in a clash with the Taliban in Mazar-i-Sharif where a Taliban fighter was also injured.

There were also no war related incidents in the week but five former police personnel were killed in Kandahar, a former policewoman was killed in Ghor province, two civilians were killed in Paghman district of Kabul and a brother of AmrullahSaleh, former VP, was killed in Panjshir province. No group has taken responsibility of these attacks.

In the previous week resistance movement’s spokesman in Panjshir province, FahimDashti and a commander of the movement were also killed. However, no one claimed their involvement in these incidents. Taliban said that the two were killed in internal disputes while some claim that they were killed in an airstrike by Pakistani forces.

Taliban took control of Kabul around a month ago and also captured Panjshir province on September 6. The movement is now in control of all Afghanistan. The Taliban also announced an interim government on September 7 but drew criticism from some countries.

Reactions of the world and problems Afghans face

The world has so far not recognized the new Afghan government and the US has frozen Afghanistan assets after the collapse of the former government. Banking services are still limitedly functional as one person cannot withdraw more than $200 a week from his bank account.

These restrictions faced many people with huge economic problems and many government officers yet to receive their salaries.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the economic situation in Afghanistan was worrisome and a humanitarian disaster was possible in the country. The organization said that small-size money transfer should be allowed to Afghanistan at least for the current moment.

Over a billion US dollar assistance to Afghanistan

The international community, however, pledged over a billion US dollar in assistance to Afghanistan while the UN had requested $600 million. Some countries also assisted Afghanistan by providing the country with medicine and food items.

Afghanistan foreign ministry welcomed the international community’s assistance and said that countries and international organizations should complete their projects, which are left incomplete as well as remove Taliban members from black lists.

After the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, some countries showed strict reactions while some others showed soft reactions.

Reactions during last week

Chinese president, Xi Jinping, addressing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Friday in Tajikistan said that SCO member countries should interact with Afghanistan based on soft approaches.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin said that the world should restore relations with Kabul and new Afghan officials should be encouraged to remain committed to their promises for normalizing the situation.

Uzbek president, ShavkatMirziyoyev said that Afghanistan money in international banks should be unfrozen for making trust with the Taliban and SCO should talk with the movement to prevent it from extremism.

International Union of Muslim Scholars announced its support to the new Afghan government and hoped that the government would be able to provide services to its people and country. The union said that it would cooperate with the new administration in Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) head, in a meeting about Afghanistan in Geneva, said that Taliban did not implement its promises about women’s rights. UN accused the Taliban of violating women’s’ rights. However, Taliban rejected the statements and said that women had right to education, work, ownership and good life.

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that the UN secretary general’s special representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons traveled to Kabul after meeting with deputy Afghan foreign minister, Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai in Doha.

The source said that the two sides discussed women’s rights and importance of inclusive government. UNAMA said that Lyons also met with acting interior minister, SarajuddinHaqqani in Kabul.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Process ZalmayKhalilzad has said former president Ashraf Ghani’s abrupt exit last month scuttled a deal under which the Taliban would hold off entering Kabul and negotiate a political transition.

Afghanistan is a poor country and don’t pressure it: Muttaqi

Acting Afghan foreign minister, Mulavi Amir Khan Muttaqi last week told reporters that Afghanistan’s relations with the world, region and neighbors were getting improved with each passing day considering recent meetings and assistances.

He said that Taliban remained committed to promises after the departure of last US troops from Afghanistan, but the US instead of appreciating them, frozen Afghans’ assets.

“US is a big country, it should be patient, but Afghanistan is a poor country and no such action should be done to it like pressuring it, because this policy was futile in the last two decades, diplomacy and economic relations should be exercised,” he said.

People’s demand from Taliban

Residents of Khushamand district of Paktika province say that schools for children had been shut since the last two decades in their area and there was need for reopening them now.

Dozens of women and madrasa students in Nangarhar province in a meeting announced their support for the Taliban’s government and asked for their rights under the framework of Sharia.

Mds/ma