8 killed, 1 injured in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, the European Union special envoy for Afghanistan discussed the upcoming Doha meeting with Afghan officials.

Niklasson called the two-day summit the beginning of a positive phase in relations between Afghanistan and the the global fraternity.

About 10 organisations asked the United Nations to give priority to women’s rights at the meeting in Doha.

Key events of last week:

• UN, IEA officials talk Doha meeting.
• Niklasson: Doha meeting to be beginning of positive phase.
• 10 organisations to Guterres: Women rights be prirotiesd.
• Iran: We have good ties with IEA without recognition
• Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan handed over to IEA.
• Mulvi Kabir: Sanctions on IEA ‘unfair’.
• HRW: Restrictions on women in Afghanistan worrisome.
• Last week, some countries and organisations pledged $59 million in aid to Afghanistan.

Casualties

Last week, eight people were killed and one wounded in various incidents across the country.

According to reports, unidentified men stabbed a young man to death in Paktia. A man and a young woman were shot dead in Faryab.

Local officials said one kidnapper was killed in a clash with security forces in Kunduz. Aa man in Nursitan murdered three members of a family and injured a fourth. One person was killed in a clash over land ownership in Ghazni.

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

In the previous week, two people had been killed and five others injured across the country.

Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security forces would be killed and maimed every week.

IEA interaction with world

The United Nations is scheduled to host a meeting on Afghanistan in Doha on February 18-19.

Last week, Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a meeting with UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva, sought further clarification on the agenda and structure of the meeting in Doha.

Muttaqi said in a meeting with Thomas Niklasson, the European Union’s special representative for Afghanistan, that the Islamic Emirate had a policy of maintaining positive relations with all countries. He hoped the Doha meeting would be a postitive phase.

Niklasson said in a separate meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir, that the world would announce development and humanitarian to Afghanistan at the Doha meeting.

Maulvi Abdul Kabir said the international community is determined to start official interaction with the Islamic Emirate at the Doha meeting.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Feridun Sinirlioğlu believes positive decisions will be made about Afghanistan at the UN-convened meeting in Doha.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir.

Sinirlioğlu commended IEA officials for assisting him during his mission, supporting greater ties between the caretaker government and the world at large.

He hailed the “Afghanistan Regional Cooperation Initiative” meeting in Kabul last week. He believed such meetings were essential for Afghanistan.

The UN official expressed optimism that the international community, including the US and the European countries, was interested in establishing relations and cooperating with IEA.

Several rights organisations appealed to the UN secretary-general to give Afghan women’s rights a priority at the UN-convened meeting in Doha on Feb. 18-19.

In a letter, spearheaded by Kaavya Asoka, Executive Director of the Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, urged the inclusion of Afghan women in the Doha discussions.

It stressed Afghan women’s rights were non-negotiable and their participation was crucial for credible and meaningful discussions.

Deputy Ambassador of Iran Ghulam Riza Najari, said despite the lack of formal recognition of IEA, relations between Kabul and Tehran were good, “improving day by day”.

Najari also stressed the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, including all tribes. He said their wish was not aimied at interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate slammed sanctions on Afghan officials as unfair. They said the caretaker government had met all conditions for recognition.

Maulvi Kabir said the IEA had fulfilled all the conditions for recognition, it should be recognized and Afghanistan’s permanent seat in the UN should be handed over to the caretaker government.

The current government of Afghanistan has not yet been recognised by any country, but the embassies of some countries are operating in Kabul. Also, the embassies of Afghanistan are operating in a number of countries.

The Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan handed over to IEA

Human rights

At a meeting in Geneva, UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett once again asked the Islamic Emirate to stop all actions against women and girls.

He said the caretaker government should be held accountable along with the officials responsible for the systematic discriminatory treatment of women and girls.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report once again expressed concern over the imposition of restrictions on women in Afghanistan, saying the “Taliban have systematically violated the rights of women and girls” in the last two and a half years.

But the Islamic Emirate denies violating women’s rights in the country and says that all women’s rights are protected within the framework of Sharia.

IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says: “The rights given by Islam and Sharia and accepted by  Afghan society are guaranteed; Of course, in some areas where there are cultural and traditional issues, we are trying to improve them and this can be solved well when the institutions are in harmony with Afghanistan.”

Humanitarian aid

Last week, Japan contributed $13.5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan.

The UN food agency welcomed the contribution, saying the funding would help it deliver emergency food and nutrition assistance to food-insecure people, support school children to learn better and keep the United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) operational.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says the United Kingdom has contributed GBP 28.7 million (US$36.5 million) to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF).

WFP welcomed a contribution of US$3.8 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the Afghans forced to leave Pakistan and return to Afghanistan.

sa/mud

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