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EU envoy hopes dialogue among Afghans takes place inside the country

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The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, has expressed hope that dialogue among Afghans will take place inside their country.

“I would hope that dialogue can take place inside their country. I don’t think there is a need to exclude Afghans from outside, but I think my experience is that to be able to have a meaningful dialogue you need to sit down face to face and engage over time, and that is lot much easier if you are in the same place,” Niklasson told reporters in Kabul on Sunday, after meeting officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during his visit to the country.

“It is clear, I think, who would be on one side of the table, and that is of course the de facto authorities. It is more difficult to decide or to find a way of who should represent other Afghans. In fact, I don’t think we should necessarily think about this as a table with two sides. I think we should think about it more as a roundtable where you have different interests, different political interests, different ethnic origins, men and women who can come together,” Niklasson added.

The diplomat also said that the ban on women’s work in NGOs raises a “serious obstacle” to assistance reaching women and children.

“A harsh winter is coming to an end, but the humanitarian situation remains worse than ever, with more than 28 million vulnerable Afghans in need of assistance, more than half of them are children below the age of 17,” Niklasson said.

On the issue of ban on secondary schoolgirls and female university students, the envoy said that he did not hear any “firm commitment” that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year which will commence in less than three weeks.

“Although many (ministers) confirmed the right of girls and women to study, I did not hear any firm commitment that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year after Nowruz, despite very clear question from our side. But opening the schools and universities to provide quality education to Afghan boys and girls, women and men is not optional. It is a necessary investment in the future, in the next generation, in a better Afghanistan, and above all it is a request by all the Afghans we speak to,” Niklasson said.

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US Congressman renews call to approve bill halting aid to Afghanistan

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Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee has emphasized that the bill to prevent terrorists from accessing American taxpayers’ money should be approved as soon as possible by both houses of Congress. If this bill is passed and signed into law, it will prevent the US from sending cash aid to Afghanistan.

Burchett said in a post on his X account that the bill must be approved as soon as possible so it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for approval.

He had previously urged Donald Trump to stop sending $40 million weekly to Afghanistan. 

He stated: “This bill must be passed as quickly as possible in both houses of the US Congress so it can be sent to Donald Trump’s desk for approval.”

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate believes that the impact of US aid on Afghanistan’s economic progress and development is negligible, and the country can achieve its economic goals through large infrastructure projects. 

IEA officials have repeatedly called on the US to release the frozen funds of Afghanistan’s central bank. 

Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, said: “The fundamental solution to improving the economic situation is to focus on the implementation of comprehensive and long-term economic programs, taking into account the existing economic capacities, which is a priority for us.”

However, some economic experts believe that international aid is crucial for Afghanistan at this time and that the Islamic Emirate needs to establish better relations with countries in this regard. 

The “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act” had previously been introduced to the U.S. Congress as part of a bill. Although the House of Representatives passed the bill, it did not gain approval from the Senate.

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Baradar meets Uzbek deputy PM in Tashkent

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A delegation of the Islamic Emirate, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, met with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during its visit to Tashkent on Saturday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the expansion of trade and transit relations and the investment of Uzbek investors in Afghanistan, Baradar’s office said in a statement.

The Uzbek side stated that Tashkent is prepared to establish a joint commercial zone at the border between the two countries to enhance bilateral trade relations. This commercial zone will include processing factories for pine nuts and cotton, packaging and logistics centers, and manufacturing units for various food products.

Uzbek PM further stated that Uzbek investors are ready to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate in the exploration and extraction of oil and gas in Afghanistan and to invest in the industrial sector, including the establishment of a cement factory in Samangan province.

He also noted that significant progress has been made in the exploration of the Toti Maidan gas field in Faryab province, and extraction operations are expected to commence soon.

Meanwhile, Mullah Baradar welcomed the Uzbek side’s proposals and assured full cooperation from the Islamic Emirate in the mentioned areas.

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IEA to trust its own scholars in implementing Sharia: minister

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Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, has said that the Islamic Emirate trusts its own religious scholars in implementing Sharia.

Speaking in an event attended by tribal elders and scholars, Hanafi said that there have been differences of opinion in every century, but the Islamic Emirate has a responsibility to maintain its unity.

“Our zealous nation fought for 20 years in accordance with the fatwa of our scholars and sheikhs. Today, to implement the Islamic system, why should we pay attention to and trust others? We will never do this. We trust our sheikhs. You are scholars and the government belongs to you,” Hanafi said.

 

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