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Khalilzad, international community condemns AIHRC attack
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad condemned yesterday’s attack on Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission employees, calling it “an anti-human act”.
“The targeted killing of Fatima Khalil and Jawid Folad today, two Afghans dedicated to the cause of fundamental human rights, is an anti-human act. We condemn this terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms,” Khalilzad tweeted.
“Those opposed to peace start fires they hope spread quickly and smolder indefinitely. We support the overwhelming demand of Afghans to overcome these odds and continue the march to a permanent and dignified peace and an Afghanistan in which everyone’s rights are respected,” Khalilzad said in a separate tweet.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) June 28, 2020
Fatima Khalil, a Donor Liaison Officer and Jawid Folad, a driver of the AIHRC were killed after their vehicle was targeted by an IED at Butkhak Square PD^12 of Kabul city on Saturday morning.
“I did not know them personally. I understand that Fatima was a courageous young person deeply dedicated to human rights for all Afghans, rights which are universal & Jawid was a long-time AIHRC employee doing his valued part,” US Envoy sai.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban militant group denied its involvement in the incident.
The attack was widely condemned by local and international communities.
The Presidential Ashraf Ghani condemned the “terrorist attack” and directed the authorities to investigate the attack thoroughly.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation expressed his condolences, “I ask that the authorities take these repetitive attacks seriously and put more effort protecting civilians and combating terrorism.”
The Afghanistan IHRC urged the government to bring the culprits to justice.
“We condemn such a heinous attack on our employees in the strongest possible terms. As of now, no group has claimed the responsibility of the attack and the perpetrators have not been identified yet. Those responsible should be identified after an investigation and brought to justice for committing this terrible crime,” AIHRC said in a statement.
US Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson said that the attack is “unacceptable”.
— Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) June 27, 2020
“We call on all those who love Afghanistan to break this cycle of violence and death, to end the impunity and indignity of such attacks on the Afghan people, and to work for peace.ow those who defend human rights and liberty. These attacks must end,” Wilson said.
UNAMA said that the killing of human rights defenders has no justification, saying an immediate investigation needed with perpetrators held to account.
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) June 27, 2020
Meanwhile, the UK, Italy, Pakistan Germany Sweden, and a number of other countries condemned the “horrible attack”, urging “senseless violence against human rights defenders has to STOP.”
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1402: Afghanistan fails to gain international recognition
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) spent this past solar year – 1402 – trying to gain international recognition and take up its seat in the United Nations.
Due to certain policies, and restrictions against Afghan women and girls, the international community has not only imposed sanctions on the government but has also worked to isolate the IEA.
Western consensus has been that the IEA needs to revise some policies including those relating to human and women’s rights.
But in addition to these problems, the Islamic Emirate made progress in diplomatic relations with some countries in 1402 – China being the first to send an official ambassador to Kabul. In turn, Beijing followed suit by welcoming the IEA’s ambassador.
Some Afghan embassies, however, that are still run by diplomats appointed by the previous government, slowly started forging ties with the IEA – including the Netherlands and Spain.
Over the past year, diplomats aligned with the Islamic Emirate also took control of the Afghan embassy and consulates in India.
In 1402, Turkmenistan removed the name of the Islamic Emirate from the list of sanctions and terrorist groups in that country.
In the meantime, Iran, Afghanistan’s western neighbor, became embroiled in a spat with the IEA over the issue of water rights from the Helmand River.
Relations with Pakistan also soured somewhat, as Islamabad has accused the IEA of letting Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) hideout in the country.
These tensions came to a head when Islamabad implemented the process of forced deportation of more than one million Afghan immigrants.
But analysts believe that the neighboring countries and the region have not been able to agree on a specific policy for interaction with the Islamic Emirate.
According to them, the realization of this agreement requires the implementation of conditions set by these countries and the international community, including the formation of an inclusive government, and respect for the rights of women and girls; and ethnic and religious minorities by the Islamic Emirate.
This year, the IEA’s cabinet remained a caretaker government, although dozens of former former government officials and politicians continued to return home.
However, the Islamic Emirate considers the year 1402 as full of achievements and emphasizes that in this year, progress has been made in all fields, especially in terms of expanding relations with other countries.
However, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate considers the lack of global legitimacy to be driven by a few countries – countries which influence the UN.
The Islamic Emirate currently has 38 active diplomatic missions in countries. In addition, Azerbaijan recently said it wants to open an embassy in Kabul.
Experts say however, 1403 will be a telling year, in terms of whether the IEA is recognized as the legitimate government or not.
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Dozens of needy families in west Kabul receive Bayat’s Ramadan aid
Dozens of needy families in the western suburbs of Kabul have been given much needed food aid for Ramadan by Bayat Foundation.
Foundation officials said the campaign is conducted during the holy month of Ramadan in order to help those in need.
The aid packages include essential food items such as flour and oil.
Residents in the west of Kabul, who received the packages, welcomed Bayat Foundation’s initiative but appealed for more assistance from other organizations.
Bayat Foundation is considered to be a key charitable organization in the country and has done valuable work in the past twenty years. The foundation has assisted victims of natural disasters, implemented public benefit projects, and helped the needy in different seasons.
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1402, a difficult year for Afghan women and girls
As this solar year, 1402 draws to a close, the suspension of high school and higher education for girls continues, despite repeated calls to the Afghan government to reconsider this decision.
This year, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials repeatedly said they plan to reopen schools above grade 6, and universities, to girls – once plans were finalized. However, nothing has come of this.
In many meetings, both in Afghanistan and outside the country, repeated requests were made to the IEA to provide education for everyone – and some officials of the Islamic Emirate even expressed their dissatisfaction over the decision.
Representatives of the United Nations and countries of the world have repeatedly emphasized that the right to education should be given to women and girls, but these requests were not accepted by the Islamic Emirate.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said: “Supporting the rights of women and girls is a central part of our foreign policy. Over the past three years, we have put forward concrete strategies, policies and programs to support women and girls around the world. It’s not just rhetoric, it’s action.”
Spokespersons of the Islamic Emirate said many times in interviews with the media that schools and universities for girls would reopen. However, they did not say when the wait for girls would end.
Now, almost three years after schools, above grade 6, were closed to girls, the hope is that in the new academic year there will be changes in the policy of the Islamic Emirate and the school bell will ring with a good news for girls.
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