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NATO Allies agree to pull out all troops over next few months

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday night that all NATO Allies would withdraw their troops from Afghanistan starting May 1.

In a joint press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels late Wednesday night with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Stoltenberg said NATO will continue to support Afghanistan but not by having troops on the ground.

He said all Allies agreed Wednesday to start withdrawing troops from May 1 but added the decision was one that “carries risks”.

However, he noted that should NATO forces come under attack by the Taliban during the withdrawal phase they would be met with force.

Blinken said that the Taliban now has a choice to make and that it’s in “no one’s interests to plunge the country into a civil war”.

He also said ultimately it will be the people of Afghanistan who decide their future. “They are the ones who have to decide.”

Asked about Afghans at risk by US withdrawal and opportunities for asylum-seekers, Blinken said the US has a commitment to those Afghans who worked with the US. He also said however that a withdrawal of troops does not mean an end to US commitment.

The defense secretary in turn said any attack on their troops during the draw down will be responded to with force.

Austin said the US will seek to continue funding the Afghan Air Force and seek to fund security forces’ salaries but also said they know the Taliban will try to reverse gains made in the past 20 years and because of this a political settlement is needed.

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National Journalists Day sparks reaction from Afghanistan’s media workers

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Marking Afghanistan’s National Journalists Day on Monday, journalists around the country raised concerns over the lack of access to information and the media restrictions they face.

One journalist, Heela Mohmand, said: “In addition to the fact that restrictions have increased, there are other problems. Women should be attended to. Many sisters and mothers are journalists, and they are facing many problems. I am also unemployed.”

Meena Habib, another journalist, said: “Some have lost their income and many have great problems due to the lack of access to information. We journalists still cannot obtain accurate information. Many spokespersons refuse to provide information to women. In many cases, when they find out that a woman is calling them, they don’t answer.”

Media advocacy groups consider the right to access accurate and timely information important in the field of reporting. These groups also called better working conditions for journalists in the country.

“This year, compared to last year, the number of female journalists has increased. Currently, 745 female journalists are working in the media. Last year, their number was 601,” said Hujjatullah Mujaddidi, head of the Afghan Independent Journalists Union.

The Ministry of Information and Culture emphasized that the current situation is favorable for the media and that the ministry is committed to supporting the media in various areas. The ministry also called on the media to continue their activities based on Islamic principles and national values.

Khubaib Ghufran, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, said: “Since the Ministry of Information and Culture is a support authority for journalists and the media, it ensures that it supports the country’s journalists in any area they face problems and in case they need anything, whether in the field of access to information or in the field of financial support to address their problems, for which work is underway to create a mechanism. Similarly, if journalists have a complaint, it will be addressed by the Media Violations Commission.”

Currently, 470 media outlets are operating in the country, including 84 television stations, 273 radio stations, 57 news agencies, and 52 print media outlets. 745 female journalists work in these media outlets.

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IEA urges neighboring countries to stop forced expulsions of Afghan refugees

Recently, Gandapur said the state and its institutions were responsible for the surge in militancy in KP.

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At a recent meeting of the Commission to Address Refugee Problems, Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi stressed that neighboring countries must stop forcibly expelling Afghan refugees.

Participants at the meeting addressed issues concerning the welfare of refugees, including the resolution of ongoing challenges they face, the facilitation of Afghan businessmen, and the prevention of forced deportations. They highlighted the pressing need for collaborative efforts to protect the rights and dignity of those displaced. Additionally, they called on international organizations for their assistance to effectively manage the refugee crisis and improve living conditions for Afghan nationals abroad. Meanwhile, Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, stated on Sunday that his government would decide whether to follow Islamabad’s directives to expel Afghans residing in the province after March 31.

The federal government has asked Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave Pakistan voluntarily by March end, after which they’d be deported from the country.

But Gandapur slammed the federal government’s repatriation policy as “inhumane and oppressive”.

“I am not in favour of Afghans’ repatriation as per the policy of the federal government,” he said.

Gandapur said he, as the chief executive of KP, would decide whether Afghans should be forcefully repatriated or not by March 31, Dawn news reported. “I will decide what suits me, suits the culture and traditions of KP,” he said.

He said it was “wrong and inhuman” to forcefully send back Afghans without any arrangement for them in their country.

The forced repatriation of Afghans at a time when they had no facility in their country was a “violation of basic human rights”.

Gandapur also said the federal government had not contacted him on this issue and that he had been criticised when he suggested negotiations with Afghanistan, Dawn news reported.

Recently, Gandapur said the state and its institutions were responsible for the surge in militancy in KP.

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Muttaqi: IEA won’t fight against one country to satisfy another

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Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that the Islamic Emirate has a balanced foreign policy and it will not fight for the happiness of one country against another.
 
Addressing Afghan diaspora in Oman, Muttaqi emphasized that the Islamic Emirate ensures security across the country in such a way that foreign meddling will be prevented.
 
“We have a balanced policy. Balanced policy means that for the happiness of one country, we do not fight with another. For the happiness of one country, we do not oppose the other. We want normal relations with all,” he said.
 
Muttaqi also rejected division within the IEA.
 
“The existence of differences, chaos and insecurity is not true. No matter how much propaganda is done, in practice you can see that no incidents happen in Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar, Jalalabad and Herat,” he said.
 
Muttaqi said that during his visit to Oman, he has sought to expand bilateral trade.
 
He also emphasized that after the return of Islamic Emirate, a serious fight against drugs has taken place in Afghanistan and they have managed to treat 400,000 drug addicts.
 
 
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