9 people killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, the US imposed new restrictions on some ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) Leaders, while some world bodies hailed Afghanistan’s significant progress in security, economic and anti-corruption areas.

Last week’s major developments

• Different bodies demanded eradication of curbs on girls, women education and work
• US imposed visa restrictions on current and previous IEA officials
• Pressure cannot resolve issues, disputed matters should be resolved diplomatically: IEA
• Afghanistan scored 24 points in the Transperancy International (TI) corruption perception index 2022
• Afghanistan makes significant progress in the area of security, economy and anti-corruption efforts: EU
• Tom West paied visits to Pakistan, Germany and Switzerland for talks on Afghanistan
• West’s trips on Afghanistan’s internal matters are useless: Mujahid
• Don’t blame us for your own wrong policies: Muttaqi to Pakistan
• EU, Pakistan, Russia and Iran stressed over inclusive government in Afghanistan

Casualties:

Nine people were killed nationwide in different incidents of violence last week.

According to reports unidentified gunmen have killed one person in Nangarhar, two in Balkh province, a man killed his brother in Ghor, in Badghis a policeman was killed by his gunshot mistakenly, a youngman body recovered in Faryab and a man was killed in his own landmine blast in Parwan.

Note: Casualty figures are based on reports reached Pajhwok. Some reports might not have reached the news agency or sources may not have provided exact figures.

According to reports the previous week 13 people were killed and three others injured nationwide in different violent incidents.

Last year, before the regime change in the country, hundreds of civilians and individuals from the warring sides were killed and injured every week in violent incidents and clashes.

Curbs on women jobs, education and US sanctions

On December 20, 2022, the Ministry of Higher Education banned women higher education till the next order. Earlier girls schools above class six were also banned.

On December 24, 2022, the Ministry of Economy in a separate decree ordered local and foreign None-Government Organisation (NGOs) to halt their women employees from attending jobs till the next order.

Last week, the Biden administration has slapped fresh visa restrictions on current and former members of ‘Islamic Emirate Afghanistan’ and others believed to be involved in curbing the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday the restrictions also applied to non-state security group members and others involved in trampling on women’s rights.

But IEA supreme Leader Shaikh Haibatullah Akhundzada during a meeting with corp commanders said that pressure from the international community had no impact and and would increase trust deficite.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned recent US decision of imposing new visa restrictions on some of its leaders and urged the resolution of disputes through diplomatic channels.

IEA asked US to remain committed to the Doha Agreement and through implementation demonstrate that legal documents and agreements signed with the US are trustworthy.

Turkish Ambassador to Kabul Cihad Ergina during a meeting with Disaster Management Authority State Minister Mullah Mohammad Abbas Akhundzada demanded permission to women education in the framework of Islamic Sharia Law.

This comes that Two days ago, the Ministry of Higher Education directed private universities and higher educational institutes to postpone registering girls for the university entrance test until further notice.

Mohammad Karim Nasiri, media manager of the private universities’ union, said the curbs on female university students and private universities would have consequences and had created problems.

According to him, there are 140 private universities with about 200,000 students in 24 provinces and 35 percent of them are girls.

The Organisation of Islamic Countreis (OIC) also expressed concern over ban on girls registration for university entry test and asked the IEA to reconsider its decision.

Top UN Official Martin Griffiths hoped that acting Afghan government would allow NGO women employees to return to their work.

He also said that despite acting govenrment’s ban on women employees they will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Afghan people.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said they got assurances from the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education for the return of their women employees to work.

Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations Munir Akram has apologized for his comments regarding women education in Afghanistan and said denying women education was neither Islamic nor Pashton culture.

On his Twitter handle, Akram said: “My apologies for the hurt caused by my comments at the humanitarian briefing on Afghanistan,”

Acting Afghan government offiials said efforts were on to resolve women education and job related issues under the framework of Islamic Law and the existing curbs were temroray.

The government also said that foreign countries should not interfare in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Economic, anti-corruption improvement

A report from the Transperancy International (TI) showed that Afghanistan scored 24 points in corruption perception index 2022 and secured 150^th postion in 180 nations.

But the Ministry of Finance said the report was incomplete and demanded the TI to reconsidere its facts and figure.

Top EU official during a meeting with Afghan officials said that Afghanistan made significant progress in the area of encomic development and anti-corruption.

World Bank in its report said that food, fuel prices reduced in Afghanistan, the country’s export and revneu collection remained strong and Afghani also remained steady.

The IEA hailed WB report and asked the world body to resume work on its half completed development projects in Afghanistan.

Pakistan officials’ statements rejected

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawa Mohammad Asif again claimed that terrorists from Afghanistan carried out terorirst activities in Pakistan, his statement came after a suicde attack in Peshawar mosque that killed 84 people and injured scored others.

But Afghanistan’s defence ministry rejected Pakistan’s allegations and assured the neighbouring country that its soil will not be used against its neighbours and regional countreis.

Actinng Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi said Pakistan government should investigate the Peshawar suicide blast and should not blame Afghanistan for the incident.

He added: “We request Pakistani ministers not to blame Afghanistan for its wrong polices.”

Afghan political affairs exprest whiel referring to Pakistan ministes recent statements said Pakistan officials maded the statements in order to prove themselves innocent.

Stress over inclusive government in Afghanistan

Pakistan and Russian foreign ministers during a meeting in Moscow asked acting Afghan government to form inclusive government and honor commitment it made with its people and international community.

EU Special Representative for Afghanistan Tomas Niclasson discussed with Pakistani officials humanitarian situation, ban on women work and inclusive govnerment in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq khan during a meeting with Tomas Nicklasson in Islamabad said that Pakistan support interaction with acting Afghan government.

Iranian foreign minister during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart stressed over inclusive government in Afghanistan and termed it vital for durable peace, prosperity and development in Afghanistan.

But acting Afghan government always said its government was inclusive and termed such demands interference in Afghanistan’s internal matters.

This comes that US Enovy to the UN Thomas-Greenfield said that Washington and UN will acting on the bases of IEA policies, adding that the IEA government not recognized due to its poliices towards women and girls in Afghanistan.

nh