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Ghani releases Eid message, urges against ‘monopoly’ of power
Former Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, who is currently living in exile, said in an Eid ul-Fitr message on Saturday that the current situation in Afghanistan is dangerous and that Afghans need to learn from the past and accept each other.
In an audio message of 28 minutes, posted on his Facebook page, Ghani did not name the Islamic Emirate or the IEA government directly, but it appeared that his message was also aimed at the current authorities.
Ghani fled the country on August 15 last year which led to the immediate collapse of the former government. Within hours, the IEA stepped in to fill the power vacuum. Since then, Ghani has kept a low profile and is believed to be living in Dubai.
In his Eid message, he said: “We must learn from history that all must accept each other. And if there is an emphasis on monopoly of power, the situation will get worse.”
“Afghans cannot be convinced by force. All Afghans need to talk to each other on a national consensus and come to a road map that aims for a prosperous, free and neutral Afghanistan. How we can reach out and work for prosperity and life, not for destruction and death,” he said.
Ghani also mentioned the recent bombings in Afghanistan and warned that once this started it is difficult to stop such actions.
“Once the door of explosions and suicide is opened, it is difficult to close this scourge again. But with national consensus and mutual acceptance, there is only one way out.”
On education,Ghani suggested that technology be used more so as to educate students remotely.
“Today, we do not have to educate children in schools, just like in the past. It can be equated with all in home, village, mosques and other places. The key is for them to realize that they have the potential to change their lives and the lives of their communities and make a difference,” he said.
According to Ghani, Afghanistan could benefit from the “successful experiences” of other Islamic countries.
Regarding Afghanistan’s foreign policy, Ghani emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations with foreign countries especially neighboring countries, and said that the development of the Asian continent was at an all-time high and something that was necessary.
“We need to work with all our neighbors, with all Asian countries, and with the rest of the world, for the benefit of both us and them.”
He also touched on the current economic crisis in the country and suggested that to overcome the problem national consultations were needed.
He said he had a short-term and long-term vision for economic recovery, stating that his “approach has always been to consult with the people, because individual intellect is not superior and we must always come to a conclusion together.”
Ghani also mentioned Afghans abroad and said that Afghans in foreign countries do not enjoy the same rights as they do in their own country.
“In a foreign country there is all despair. But at home together, there is the honor of all.”
Following the killing of eight Pakistani security forces in an explosion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, said Islamabad is likely to blame Afghanistan, a move he warned could further escalate tensions and increase the risk of real conflict between the two countries.
Khalilzad said on X late Friday: “It is heart-breaking to watch old patterns that led to nothing but grief in the past, continuously replay again and again. It will not lead anywhere good. And the tragic irony is that an “alternative future” is absolutely within reach and would be so much better for both countries and all of their people: an economic partnership between Afghanistan and Pakistan that would bring prosperity to both.”
He reiterated his long-standing call for a negotiated solution, proposing a new agreement between the two countries under which neither side would allow its territory to be used by individuals or groups to threaten the other’s security, with oversight from a trusted third party.
Khalilzad urged both sides to reconsider their approach, saying Pakistan and Afghanistan are on a “tragic trajectory” and must make a bold shift.
He also expressed condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers killed in the attack.
Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, has expressed concern over the arrest of three journalists by the Islamic Emirate, urging authorities to ensure press freedom and due process.
“Concerned by reports that 3 journalists have been detained in Afghanistan without clear charges, as well as reports of assaults and property seizures. We urge transparency, due process, and respect for rights. Journalists must be able to work without fear,” said Lindsay on X.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also voiced strong concern over the detention, calling on the Islamic Emirate to clarify the charges against the journalists and ensure accountability in the handling of the case.
A 20-year-old Afghan migrant has been arrested in Germany over the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl inside a school toilet in the city of Koblenz.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on April 28 after the suspect and another man allegedly entered the school premises. Investigators say the suspect cornered the girl in the restroom while a second 19-year-old man allegedly restrained her during the attack.
The girl reportedly told her older sister about the incident two days later. Her family then located the suspect at a nearby residence and informed police.
German authorities arrested the suspect on May 4. He remains in pre-trial detention and has been charged with committing sexual acts against a child on school grounds.
The Koblenz prosecutor’s office confirmed the suspect’s Afghan nationality to German broadcaster SWR. Prosecutors also stated that the man had previously been under investigation in another alleged sexual offence case. He had earlier been fined for possessing a blank-firing pistol without a licence.
Police said the second suspect is still being investigated as a suspected accomplice and remains at large.
Authorities have not yet clarified how the two men allegedly gained access to the school property.
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