Half a dozen killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy prime minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir last week met UN officials in Kabul and hoped the Islamic Emirate’s position on participating in the Doha meeting would be endorsed.

Also last week, SIGAR accused the interim government of interfering in the affairs of donors, an allegation rejected by the government.

Last week’s major events:

• Our position on Doha meeting be accepted. Kabir
• UN: Doha meeting opportunity to normalize IEA-world ties
• SIGAR accuses IEA of interfering in donors’ affairs
• Mujahid: No one interfered in any way in aid affairs
• Jirga brokers cease-fire between Afghan, Pak forces
• Russia, Turkey provide 43 tons of aid package for flood victims

Casualties

Last week, six people were killed and four others were injured in various incidents of violence in Afghanistan.

Unidentified gunmen shot two doctors who were brothers in Balkh province, killing one and injuring another and a young man was killed in Parwan.

A hand-grenade blast killed one person and injured three others in Kandahar. The body of a missing person was found in a well in Ghazni.

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

In the previous week, according to sources, 19 people were killed and 23 others were injured in various incidents of violence nationwide.

Before the regime change in August 2011, hundreds of people, including civilians, insurgents and security forces would get killed and injured every week.

Doha meeting

United Nations under secretary general for political and peace-building affairs Rosemary DiCarlo met some officials in Kabul and said that the next Doha meeting on Afghanistan was aimed at normaliing the relations of the international community with Afghanistan.

The Doha meeting will discuss various challenges in Afghanistan, the situation of human rights and the education of girls.

Rosemary DiCarlo also called on acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi and both discussed bilateral relations and the agenda of the upcoming third meeting on Afghanistan in Doha.

However, deputy prime minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir during a meeting with DiCarlo said the previous meeting in Doha was incomplete. He hoped the Islamic Emirate’s position on the next meeting would be accepted.

Rosemary DiCarlo during the meeting extended an invitation for participation in the 3rd UN meeting on Afghanistan in Doha and said the IEA conditions for participation in the upcoming meeting were not effective.

She said the upcoming Doha meeting would be a good opportunity for normalizing and improving interaction between Afghanistan and the international community.

Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the IEA political Affairs aide, during a meeting with Qatar State Minister for Foreign affairs Abdul Aziz Al Khalife said that the IEA presence in the upcoming Qatar meeting was vital and hoped for the positive outcome of this gathering.

Mawlavi Abdul Kabir said if the IEA conditions are met, they would ensure active participation in the upcoming Doha meeting.

SIGAR report and IEA reaction

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in its latest report said that both the former Ghani administration and the current Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) controlled government benefitted from US aid by imposing taxes, fees, duties, and utilities on implementing partners as a condition of operating in Afghanistan.

The US watchdog said that implementing partners paid at least $10.9 million to the IEA-controlled government in the form of taxes, fees, import duties, or for the receipt of permits, licenses, or public utility services.

In addition, most of the taxes, fees, duties, and utilities reported by the implementing partners were not captured in annual tax reporting to US agencies because US agencies only require implementing partners to report value-added taxes and customs duties.

Talking to National Radio Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the IEA, rejected SIGAR’s claims and said that taxes, water and electricity charges and customs tariffs belonged to the national budget of Afghanistan and said IEA never  interfered in the in the internal affairs of NGOs.

Durand Line Skirmish and Joint Jirga

According to local sources, after clashes Afghan and Pakistani security forces on Durand Line in southeastern Paktia province a joint triable Jirga broke ceasefire, reopened the Kharlachi Corssing and formed a committee.

Joint jirga was held between the tribal elders of both sides in Dand-i-Patan district, officials also participated the gathering, tribal elder Haji Wali Zazai told Pajhwok Afghan News.

On Saturday, members of the joint jirga agreed to form a committee to address the issue. It was decided to reopen the Kharlachi route for commercial activities.

Continuation of Humanitarian Aid

The UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has provided medicines assistance worth $50,000 to Afghanistan.

In addition, Russia provided 21 tonnes food and Turkiye provided 22 tonnes of of food and non-food items and 2,000 blankets for flood-affected people in Afghanistan.

ma/nh