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IEA rejects reports of selling US military equipment to Pakistan

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Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials on Thursday rejected reports published in the media that the new government is selling off US military equipment to Pakistan.

IEA officials said there was no truth in these reports and that it was simply propaganda.

“We have faced propaganda for the past 20 years… there are video clips that show some military equipment being transferred from one province to another. It (selling equipment) is rumors, it is not true,” said Inayatullah Khorazmi, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

Reports emerged on Thursday that sources told Pakistan’s Dawn News that in order to ensure that lethal weapons left behind by the Americans do not fall into the hands of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and other terrorist groups, Pakistan is buying back a huge cache of these weapons.

It is estimated that US forces left behind nearly 200,000 deadly weapons.

Last month, the New York Times also reported that US weapons, which were seized by the IEA after American troops withdrew, were being openly sold in shops by Afghan gun dealers who paid for the weapons and ammunition.

Under a US training and assistance program, that cost American taxpayers more than $83 billion over 20 years of war, the equipment was originally provided to the Afghan security forces.

According to documents seen by Ariana News, equipment in the Afghan army’s possession at the time of the government’s collapse, in August, was as follows:

1- 22,174 military tactical vehicles
2- 8,000 military trucks
3- 634 armored 1117M tanks
4- 155 armored vehicles
5- 169 M113 military tanks
6- 42, 000 Ranger and Hilux vehicles
7- 33 (Mi-17) helicopters
8- 33 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters
9- 43 (MD-530) helicopters
10- Four transport helicopters
11- 23 (A29) fighter planes
12- 28 transport planes
13- 10 (AC- 208) military planes
14- 16,243 telecommunication devices
15- 16,035 night vision cameras
16- 358,530 M16 firearms
17- 126, 295 pistol
18- 176 rocket launchers

This equipment was reported to be in Kabul, Kunduz, Helmand, Balkh, Herat and Paktia bases that were taken control of by IEA forces.

One former military official, Sadiq Shinwari said Pakistan is hoping to take possession of millions of dollars worth of equipment.

“Pakistan wants to transfer equipment worth millions from Afghanistan. Pakistan’s recent speech was a campaign, because of its intelligence goals,” said Shinwari.

Over the years, thousands of units of equipment were handed over to the Afghan government by the US. Between 2017 and 2019, the former Afghan government was given:

1- 7,035 weapons
2- 4,702 military vehicles
3- 20,040 grenades
4- 2,520 bombs plus other heavy artillery

In addition to the listed equipment, the document seen by Ariana News indicated there had been just over 182,000 soldiers and 118,600 national police and intelligence forces (NDS) combined wgho were in service at the time of the government’s collapse.

For years, the Afghan government said security forces totaled over 300,000 but speculation was always rife that this number included ghost soldiers.

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IEA committed to freedom of media within Islamic principles: Mujahid

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The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that the Islamic Emirate is committed to freedom of media and their activities within the framework of Islamic principles.

In his meeting with officials from several media outlets and supporting organizations, Mujahid stressed the need for increased cooperation between government institutions and the media.

He said that the IEA is working to create a better environment for media activities in the country.

The Government Media and Information Center reported that media officials shared some existing issues regarding access to information with the spokesperson of the IEA and requested solutions to these challenges.

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IEA prioritizing poverty reduction and job opportunities, says deputy PM

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Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said Wednesday that the Islamic Emirate prioritizes poverty reduction and job opportunities.

Addressing the National Conference on Microfinance Opportunities and Challenge”, Baradar stated that beneficiaries of microfinance initiatives include needy Afghans, traders, and small business owners, and that working with these groups is a shared goal of the IEA and the international community.

Participants at the conference included members of the cabinet, representatives from the UN, the EU, the World Bank country director to Afghanistan, ambassadors to Kabul, officials from international and domestic organizations, and a number of investors and businesspeople.

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IEA cuts mobile phone and internet rates

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The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology said on Wednesday that the costs of data, phone calls and internet packages will be cut by between 14 and 36 percent by all service providers.

Najibullah Haqqani, the acting minister, said at a press conference that a one-minute phone call between the same network will cost 1.30 afghanis, and between different networks it will cost 1.40 afghanis per minute, down from 1.85.

One GB of data, valid for a month, will be set at 95 afghanis, down from 110 afghanis. This is a 14% drop in price, he said.

He also said text messages between subscribers on the same network will cost 1.30 afghanis per message.

Haqqani also stated that 800 new mobile phone sites, including towers, have been established in remote areas and 1,000 inactive sites have been reactivated.

In addition, Afghanistan Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (ATRA) said of the 26 million SIM cards in use, 14 million have been registered under the new administration.

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