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Assassination of FEFA head sparks widespread criticism

Published

3 years ago

December 23, 2020

(Last Updated On: December 23, 2020)

Afghan leaders including President Ashraf Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah along with the foreign community in Kabul have strongly condemned the assassination on Wednesday of Yousuf Rashid, head of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA).

Rashid and his driver were gunned down in PD7 in Kabul on Wednesday morning.

Photos and footage from the scene showed shattered glass and a blood splattered vehicle which was testimony to the barrage of bullets fired at the two men.

The Presidential Palace (ARG) stated in a series of tweets that Ghani has shared his condolences with the families and colleagues of the victims and that he condemned the attack.

The president “vehemently condemns today’s terrorist attack on Mr. Rashid Head of an Election Watch and terms it a cowardly and appalling attack on our freedom and democracy,” ARG tweeted.

Abdullah also issued a short statement on Twitter and said that killing is not a solution to the crisis.

“The cowardly attack & killing of Yosuf Rasheed, the Executive Director of Free & Fair Election Forum of AFG (FEFA)…Terror & killing is not the answer to the current crisis of the country,” tweeted Abdullah.

Mohammad Mirza Katawazai, First Deputy Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) in turn said on Twitter he was deeply saddened by the killing of Rashid “who was a forward looking, progressive young Afghan who wanted a truly functioning democracy in the country.”

Meanwhile, foreign embassies in Afghanistan also condemned the attacks and praised Rashid for his hard work and achievements in working to secure a free and transparent election system.

US Chargé d’Affaires, Ross Wilson, said: “I am appalled by his murder, another in a cacophony of senseless & endless violence.”

Wilson said Rashid’s death is a loss to his family, friends and the nation.

In his tweet, Wilson stated: “Yousuf Rasheed was a dedicated & steadfast advocate for representative democracy in Afghanistan. He worked tirelessly for years to ensure free & transparent elections that engaged all Afghans.”

The Netherlands Embassy in Kabul also condemned the attack and shared their condolences with his family and colleagues.

The embassy also expressed its concern over the recent and continued attacks on civil society activists in Afghanistan.

Sweden meanwhile said it was “appalled by the killing of Mr. Rasheed, head of Sweden’s long-term partner Free Election Afghanistan. Targeting of civil society activists is unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, Rashid’s brother, Abdulbaqi Rashid, said Wednesday the Afghan government needs to be held accountable and asked how much longer young Afghans need to be sacrificed.

He said that Rashid’s death is not only a loss for his family but for the whole country.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in turn called on the government to provide security to journalists, civil society members and human rights activists in the country.

According to the AIHRC the perpetrators should also be held accountable.

This comes amid a sharp increase in targeted killings in either shootings or magnetic IEDS across the country in recent weeks.

In light of this the UN on Wednesday warned that assassinations are “taking place at a deeply disturbing rate” across Afghanistan.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday afternoon, UNAMA stated that it “mourns the loss of so many outstanding citizens, condemns those responsible and urges authorities to bring them to account.”

The mission emphasized that in the past four days “Afghanistan has seen the killing of an MP, a well known journalist, a group of medics and head of a leading election watchdog.”

“Such dreadful attacks are rarely claimed and frequently focus on those working for an open society,” UNAMA stated.

“The UN repeats its call for a sustained reduction in violence. Lives and gains must be protected, with spoilers prevented from undermining the vital peace negotiations, due to resume 5 January.”

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IEA urges World Bank to resume work on 7,000 incomplete projects

Published

9 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 19, 2024)

Officials at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) say 7,000 incomplete projects of the World Bank are at risk of destruction in Afghanistan. They call on the World Bank to resume the work of these projects.

According to them, discussions have been held with the World Bank about these projects, but there has been no result yet.

“7,000 incomplete projects are being destroyed, and if the work is not started, these projects will be destroyed. We ask the World Bank to resume the work of these projects as soon as possible,” said Noorul Hadi Adel, the spokesperson of MRRD.

Meanwhile, members of the private sector also ask international institutions to resume their work in Afghanistan.

According to the officials of this sector, with the start of these projects, job opportunities will be provided for thousands of people in the country.

“These projects create employment for our people and the country will grow a lot,” said Mirwais Hajizadeh, a member of the private sector.

However, economic experts stated if the work of these projects does not start soon, they will be destroyed and the investments made in them will be wasted.

Latest News

Ten people killed by floods in Helmand

Published

10 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 19, 2024)

Ten people have been killed and six others injured by floods in Helmand province in the past week, local officials said on Friday.

According to officials, seven of those were members of the same family, and they were killed in Kajaki district last night.

“Most of the people moved from vulnerable areas to high lands and mountains, and thanks Allah the number of casualties is low,” Sher Mohammad Vahdat, the head of information of the Directorate of Information and Culture in Helmand, said adding rescue teams and security forces have been dispatched to help people.

It is said that the telecommunication system has also been disrupted due to the effect of floods in Kajaki district. Floods have also destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural land.

Latest News

UN envoy meets Indian foreign minister to discuss Afghanistan

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 19, 2024)

Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi and discussed issues related to Afghanistan, it was announced on Thursday.

During the meeting, Otunbayeva thanked India for “its critical humanitarian support and longstanding friendship for the Afghan people” and discussed the importance of regional and international cooperation to address prevailing challenges in Afghanistan, UNAMA said on X.

Jaishankar also said on X that the sides exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan.

“Underlined that India has provided wheat, medicines, pesticides and school supplies. Appreciate the role of UN agencies as partners in these endeavors,” he said.