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Pakistan envoy concerned Afghanistan is being ‘forgotten’
Durrani warned that the dire economic situation could force Afghans to leave the country and head to Pakistan.
Another 9/11 could originate from Afghanistan, which has been forgotten by the international community, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Monday.
"Afghanistan has almost been forgotten. There is no doubt about it and this was in fact highlighted during the Doha 3 session in June.
“Humanitarian assistance is not up to the mark. Even last year only one-third of the commitments were fulfilled," said Durrani.
He pointed out that the Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict has pushed Afghanistan out of the international spotlight, leaving it forgotten by the world.
He said with the limited news on the country in the media around the world, he thinks “it can push back Afghanistan to pre-9/11 conditions and which in fact then give birth to 9/11."
Durrani warned that the dire economic situation could force Afghans to leave the country and head to Pakistan.
“This is something we should be sensitive about and the international community should know their responsibilities," he added.
He also warned that reports of the presence of different terrorist groups, including Daesh, was a major challenge for the region and beyond.
"My worry is that ISKP (Daesh) is gaining ground inside Afghanistan and that should be a source of concern for everyone in the region and beyond because of their actions in Iran, their actions in Moscow and also many operations inside Pakistan. If that can happen here it can happen elsewhere."
"So it should be a concern for everyone."
However, Durrani also said he thinks the Islamic Emirate is on the path to being recognized internationally.
"We should not forget that they are faced with tremendous challenges. Number 1, they are not recognised by any country, secondly, when they came to power, their coffers were empty, thirdly, they were not expecting a meltdown of Ashraf Ghani government."
"On the balance, if you look at it during the past 3 years, I think the security situation in Afghanistan has improved, there is less corruption, which is internationally acknowledged," he added.
But Durrani questioned the Islamic Emirate’s actions in some aspects.
"The Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate) have also implemented certain rules and regulations which in fact may suit the Afghan conditions but certainly do not fit into the Islamic tenets which they claim they have implemented," he said.
He welcomed the improved security situation in Afghanistan but said peace has become a problem for Pakistan as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have increased attacks on Pakistan by 70 percent in the past three years.
The Islamic Emirate has long been accused by Pakistan of allowing TTP to plot and plan attacks from Afghanistan.
On this, Durrani said diplomacy was working and he was confident the issue would be resolved.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that the entire country is under the control of the forces of the Islamic Emirate and is safe.
The Deputy Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Hamdullah Fitrat, said Afghanistan is not a threat to any country and the Islamic Emirate has made it clear that it does not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used against the security of any other country.
"Rejecting any concerns on this matter, we say once again that the entire geography of Afghanistan is under the control of the forces of the Islamic Emirate and is safe,” said Fitrat.
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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Saturday in a statement that its delegation participated in a conference titled "Promoting Mining Cooperation" in China’s Hunan province.
The Ministry stated the conference aims to build a well-equipped laboratory in Afghanistan, increase the capacity of technical and professional employees of the Ministry of Mines, and encourage investors in the mineral resources sector of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Chinese investors expressed their interest in Afghanistan’s gold, copper, mica, talc, oil, gas, lithium, lead and zinc mines.
At the conference, the ministry’s deputy minister of finance and administration and head of the delegation Hussamuddin Saberi talked about Afghanistan's natural resources contracts and investment opportunities and considered holding such programs effective for the relations between the two countries.
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Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan
Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, on Friday met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-European relations in the Afghan direction, the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country and the possibility of using the international transport and logistics hub in Termez to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Hakala highly appreciated the efforts of Uzbekistan to develop a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan, establish long-term peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.
The parties expressed mutual interest in continuing bilateral consultations on the Afghan issue, the statement added.
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UN expert calls for comprehensive, rights-focused action plan for Afghanistan
A UN expert on Friday called on the international community to devise and implement a comprehensive, human rights-centered action plan to address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
“The absence of a unified, forceful response from the international community has emboldened the Taliban (IEA),” UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said.
In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett said that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is worsening, which includes systematic gender oppression, amounting to gender persecution and which many Afghans term “gender apartheid” with intergenerational implications.
Bennett expressed concern about the new “vice and virtue” law, announced in August, which he believes has institutionalized an expanding list of restrictions that “blatantly violate the rights of women and girls.”
He also expressed concern about the “shrinking civic space” in Afghanistan, the situation of minorities, journalists, and former government officials and security personnel.
“Justice, equality, and the rule of law are being systematically undermined,” he said.
The UN expert also called for increased funding and support for Afghan civil society and humanitarian efforts to mitigate the crisis.
Bennett urged the IEA to reverse its “repressive policies” and reinstate basic human rights. He pressed the international community to take a coordinated, multifaceted approach to support the Afghan people.
Bennett urged states not to normalize relations with the IEA until there are demonstrable human rights improvements and pathways to justice and accountability.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that it is committed to ensuring human rights, including the rights of women and girls, according to Sharia, and this is an internal issue of Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has banned Richard Bennett from traveling to Afghanistan, saying that he exaggerates small issues.
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