Latest News
MP tells parliament security forces ambushed him
MP Mahdi Rasikh claimed Wednesday that he survived an attack by the Afghan security forces in the Bihsud district of Maidan Wardak province.
Addressing the Wolesi Jirga, Rasikh stated that security forces attacked his vehicles while he was returning to Kabul.
He said one of his bodyguards was wounded in the attack.
Rasikh claimed that the Chief of Army Staff General Yasin Zia had reportedly given orders to assassinate him.
“Yesterday, while we entered a valley on our way, the security forces began shooting at us. They shut down our mobile antenna using jammers. They shot and wounded my bodyguard and tried to kill me as well,” Rasikh told the MPs.
He added that the security forces wanted him to get out of his armored vehicle but “I refused to get out of my car and then they opened fired on the vehicle and punctured the tires.”
“I asked the security forces why they are shooting us, they told me they got orders from Chief of Army Staff,” Rasikh said.
A number of MPs condemned the shooting and said the actions had been illegal.
“We are the true defenders of the Republic, not the four-member Republic of Arg, they want to silence the voice of the representatives, and that is why they targeted Mahdi Rasikh,” MP Nilofar Ibrahimi said.
Mir Rahman Rahmani, the Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament called on the Afghan forces to be committed to their duties.
“The security forces are obliged to ensure the security of the people. But some people are intolerable (security forces) and should not treat MPs this way,” Rahmani said.
“The security forces’ treatment of Mahdi Rasikh is disturbing and the Immunity Commission shall investigate this issue,” he added.
The Ministry of Defense, however, stated that Rasikh was transporting illegal weapons and that the security forces seized 10 weapons belonging to him.
“MP Mahdi Rasikh is a close figure to Commander Alipour. He was also involved in addressing recent dispute in Bisud district,” Rosullah Ahmadzia, a spokesman for the MoD told Ariana News.
Latest News
Girls’ education is a ‘vital issue’ for Afghanistan: Karzai
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, that education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai said he appreciated Iran’s cooperation and its standing with the Afghan people, especially Iran’s contributions to education in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Karzai said peace and stability in the region are in the interest of all regional countries.
Latest News
Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh
A shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan was handed over on Thursday to the local officials of Balkh province in the trade port of Hairatan.
Local authorities said the aid, which includes flour, oil, wheat, sugar and meat, has been handed over by Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya governor to the governor of Balkh.
The governor of Surkhandarya stated the purpose of sending this aid was to support the people of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the development of good relations between the two countries.
Latest News
Afghanistan’s problems caused more damage to Pakistan than 3 wars with India: Durrani
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
-
Latest News5 days ago
Pakistan’s frontiers minister stresses ‘dignified’ return of Afghan refugees
-
Latest News3 days ago
Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
-
Regional4 days ago
Iranian president lands in Pakistan for three-day visit to mend ties
-
Climate Change5 days ago
Massive river flooding expected in China, threatening millions
-
Latest News5 days ago
Chinese keen to invest in Panjshir-Kabul water conduit project
-
World5 days ago
Two Japan navy helicopters crash, one body found, 7 missing
-
Sport4 days ago
Kolkata beat Bengaluru by one run in IPL as Kohli fumes at dismissal
-
Sport4 days ago
ACL: Aino Mina 3-0 Istiqlal Kabul; Attack Energy 3-0 Khadim