KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, 20.9 million dollars aid was announced for Afghanistan, religious scholars urged the government to allow girls to study and Pakistan closed crossings with Afghanistan, leaving hundreds of vehicles and people stranded on both sides.
Last week’s major events
- Russia calls for broad-based government in Afghanistan
- Mujahid: Govt inclusive, stop interfering in internal affairs
- Religious scholars urge IEA to allow girls to study
- Pakistan closes Torkham Gate for a week
- Nearly 21 million dollars in aid announced
Casualties
A dozen people were killed and 11 others were injured in various incidents across the country last week.
In Nimroz province, a suicide bomber was killed before he detonated an improvised explosive device and three security personnel were injured in the explosion.
An armed thief was killed in an encounter with security forces in Balkh and two children were killed and eight others were injured when an old mortar shell went off in Baghlan.
According to reports, one person was killed in a clash over a land dispute in Parwan. A 13-year-old boy was shot dead in Badakhshan, four people were killed in a clash during a volleyball game in Laghman, and two brothers were killed by unidentified gunmen in Parwan.
Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources provided incorrect figures.
In the previous week, 25 people had been killed and 37 others injured in various incidents across the country.
Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security forces would get killed and maimed every week.
Russia’s request and Mujahid’s response
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that it was necessary that other political parties and tribes were given representation in a coalition government in Afghanistan.
He said the Pashtun tribe alone should not be in power, but other tribes such as Tajiks and Hazaras should also have their representatives. Russia advised the Islamic Emirate to invite other political groups to a coalition government.
However, Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the government in Afghanistan was responsive and inclusive and had established security and stability throughout the country.
He asked countries to cooperate with Afghans and not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
Turkish Ambassador to Kabul Cenk Unal called on deputy prime minister of for political affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir. The Turkish envoy stressed improved Afghanistan-Turkey relations and increased interaction between the two countries.
He said his country would not allow anyone to indulge in political and military activity in Turkey against the Islamic Emirate.
He said the interaction of the Islamic Emirate continued with the world and currently representative offices of 17 countries were open in Afghanistan.
Girls’ education and women’s rights
A number of tribal elders and religious scholars from 34 provinces of Afghanistan last week asked the Islamic Emirate to allow girls to continue their education.
The US State Department also expressed concern about women’s rights in Afghanistan.
State Department spokesman Mathew Miller said the Islamic Emirate was not doing good things about the rights of girls and women in the society.
However, the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that girls and women in Afghanistan fully enjoy rights enshrined in Islamic laws and the education of girls above the sixth grade has also been temporarily suspended.
In a new audio clip, Islamic Emirate supreme leader Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada said that the rights of women in Afghanistan were more protected than the past and the Islamic Emirate had issued a decree for their rights.
“We have issued a six-article decree on women’s rights and against atrocities being committed against women in Afghanistan. In the past, women denied their rights. Do not force a woman into marriage, do not demand dowry, do not force a widow into marriage, give her inheritance and do not usurp the rights of a woman.”
Torkham Gate closure
Pakistan on Saturday closed the Torkham gate against trucks loaded with commercial goods after imposing visa condition for drivers.
The closure of the gate left thousands of vehicles and travellers stranded on both sides.
The vehicles are loaded with perishable fruits and vegetables of Afghan traders.
Hundreds of Afghan patients going to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for treatment have been stuck in Torkham.
Pakistan has argued passports and visas are used for travel all over the world and Islamabad wants to ensure that people travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan on visas.
But Afghan officials say the visa condition Pakistan has imposed on businessmen and ordinary people is not acceptable.
Humanitarian aid
Last week, China pledged 100 million Chinese yuan (about 998 million afghanis) in aid to Afghanistan, Denmark donated 6.2 million dollars to Afghanistan and the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered medical equipment worth $70,000 to the zonal hospital in Herat province.
Also, Russia donated 33 tons of food and other necessary items for the earthquake victims in Herat.
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