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ISI chief in Kabul for talks with Taliban: sources
Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s spy agency, arrived in Kabul on Saturday for talks with the Taliban regarding matters related to the safe evacuation of foreign nationals, border management and security in the region, sources said.
Geo News reported that Hameed will also meet with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan and his team on issues of repatriation and transit through Pakistan and the situation on the border.
Since the Taliban came into power last month thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help, Geo News reported adding that the Pakistani embassy in Kabul has been working 24/7 to assist in the evacuation efforts.
According to the sources, as quoted by Geo News, the ISI chief will discuss matters with the Taliban related to the issue of pending requests from countries and international organizations for repatriation/transit through Pakistan.
Geo News reported that border management is another important issue that will be addressed during Hameed’s visit.
Geo News also stated that media reports suggesting a huge refugee inflow or pressure at Pakistan borders from Afghanistan are “incorrect”.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a voice clip to BBC that the Pakistani ISI chief’s visit to Kabul was requested by Pakistan and that the delegation was expected to discuss a number of issues with Taliban officials, including the refugee problem, and restarting flights from the airport
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Saturday that Pakistan will “assist” the Taliban to form an inclusive government.
In a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Bajwa said that Pakistan will “continue to fight for peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as assist the formation of an inclusive administration”.
News outlets reported that Pakistan’s ISI chief has met with Taliban leaders, and with Omar Zakhilwal, former finance minister as well as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
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More needs to be done to boost local industry, says Kabir
The deputy prime minister for policy, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, met with Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, at Sapidar Palace on Tuesday and discussed issues around the quality of domestic products and the need to grow and develop the industrial sector.
Azizi said that good trade relations with neighboring countries has resulted in stable prices of goods in the country.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry works closely with the private sector. As a result, the private sector functions in a befitting manner and the Islamic Emirate has provided necessary facilities.
Azizi said that based on the Islamic Emirate’s good economic policies, there has been a significant development in the import/export sector in the country.
Kabir in turn voiced appreciation for efforts by the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and said: “The unprecedented efforts of the IEA’s administrations and the stability of the Afghan currency caused the price of food ingredients to remain in the right state and our people also be able to buy essential materials.”
He emphasized the need to work for a balance in trade with neighboring countries, and said more efforts were needed to improve the quality of domestic products and to grow the sector.
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Russia and Tajikistan hold joint military drills along Afghanistan border
Russia and Tajikistan conducted a joint four-day military exercise along the border with Afghanistan in order to be prepared for any “potential threats”, Tajik media reported this week.
Russian military personnel from the 201st military base in Tajikistan participated in this exercise. Reports stated military personnel practiced various combat tactics, especially tactics to counter terrorist groups that illegally enter Tajikistan.
This comes amid repeated concerns expressed by Afghanistan’s neighbors about what they claim are terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the drills but has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in the country. The IEA has also continuously said no militant group will be allowed to threaten another country from Afghanistan.
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Media Violation Commission bans two TV channels
The Media Violations Commission has ordered Noor and Barya TV channels to stop broadcasting and to appear in court, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
ّIt is said that the decision against the channels was taken for “not observing the principles of journalism.”
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