62 suffer causalities as violence rears head in Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman visited Kabul and met European Union representatives and leaders of the Islamic Emirate to discuss interaction and remove misunderstanding between the two neighbors.

Last week’s key events

• Rehman in Kabul: I brought goodwill message
• Pakistan: Rehman did not travel to Kabul as Islamabad rep
• UNAMA: Arrest of some women worrisome; Mujahid: This concern is not right
• UK: Making efforts for Kabul’s interaction with world
• Nicholson: EU representatives talk interaction with Afghanistan

Causalities

Last week, 25 people were killed and 37 others were injured in various incidents of violence nationwide.

Kabul police said five people were killed and 15 others wounded in a bomb explosion in Dasht-i-Barchi area last week. In the same area, two people were killed and 12 more wounded in a hand grenade blast in front of a commercial centre.

Three people were killed and four others wounded when a bomb blast ripped trough a vehicle in the Alokhel area of Kabul.

Local officials say unidentified gunmen lobbed a hand grenade into the house of deputy director of education department of Hesarak district of Nangarhar, killing his four minor daughters.

In Faryab, a child was killed and another injured in a similar incident and one each person was shot dead in Paktia and Logar last week.

According to reports, five people were injured as a result of a clash between two families in Nangarhar, a man in Khost gunned down five in-laws and in Kapisa, a person shot dead his father.

On the other hand, local officials say that two kidnappers have been killed in a firefight with security forces in Parwan.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources have provided incorrect figures.

In the previous week, five people were killed and seven others injured in different incidents of violence across the country.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s visit

Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who held a flurry of meetings with Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials, wrapped up his six-day visit to the neighbouring country on Friday.

Afghan officials assured Rehman that they had no intention of harming any country, including Pakistan. Pakistan should stop “cruel treatment” against Afghan refugees and realities should be discussed instead of media claims and propaganda.

JUI-F chief said that he visited Afghanistan with a message of goodwill and the purpose was to eliminate the misunderstanding between Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote political ties, economy, trade and mutual development.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry has categorically ruled out talks with the Tahrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and termed Mawlana Fazal Rahman’s visit private and at individual capacity.

Concerns about human rights and IEA reaction

According to reports, a few days ago, a number of women were arrested in Kabul for “not observing hijab”.

Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman for the IEA, said these women were transferred to the respective areas for two hours at the request of their families and were freed in the presence of their family members.

UNAMA office in Kabul also expressed concern that a large number of women and girls have been given warnings and detained in the capital Kabul and Daikundi province.

According to the statement, UNAMA feared that such arrests will farther isolate women out of fear.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid termed UNAMA’s concern baseless and said that Afghan women observed their hijab without pressure.

Special Representative for Women Rights in Afghanistan Rina Ameeri has said that women rights were violated in Afghanistan in the past two years, a claim that acting government often rejects.

During a briefing to the US House of Representatives, she said that Afghan women rights had been violated in the past two years and women had been systematically pushed to the corner.

She added that Afghan women need the help of the international community and not only America, but the whole world is working for women’s rights in Afghanistan.

But Afghan officials have repeatedly said that women’s rights are protected in Afghanistan.

UK: Efforts on for interaction between Kabul and world

K Chargé d’Affaires of to Afghanistan Robert Chatterton Dickson has said his country is fully supported to support durable peace in Afghanistan and efforts are underway to improve Kabul’s ties with the world.

Maulvi Abdul Kabir said that Afghanistan and UK enjoyed cordial ties and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) gave huge importance to its ties with the world particularly with London.

He said: “UK shall display the real picture of Afghanistan to the world and engage with the IEA.”

Dickson on his part renewed Afghanistan’s cordial ties with the world and added efforts were underway to improve Kabul ties with the world.

He stressed Afghanistan’s relationship with the world needed continued political interaction with the world.

Also, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai met with Robert Chatterton Dickson, the Chargé d’Affaires of UK Mission.

“Appreciating the humanitarian assistance of the UK, DFM Stanekzai said that IEA considers dialogue & engagement with all sides in the interest of Afghanistan, the region & the world.”

Dickson said that UK-Afghanistan engagement will be further enhanced in the future & reaching this milestone is important,.

The envoys of European countries for Afghanistan have discussed continued engagement with Kabul and sustainable peace in the country, the EU envoy for Afghanistan said on Tuesday.

EU special envoy for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson wrote on his X page on Tuesday that the meeting took place at EU headquarters in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

The meeting was attended by EU charge d’affaires Raffaella Iodice, the head of Asia and Pacific department in foreign relations Paula Pampaloni and former deputy foreign minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai.

sa/ma