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UN reports a drop in attacks by armed opposition and Daesh in Afghanistan
Attacks by armed opposition groups and Daesh have decreased in Afghanistan, the United Nations Secretary-General said in a new report released on Friday.
Between 1 August and 7 November, the United Nations recorded 8 ISIL-K (Daesh) attacks in three provinces, compared with 27 attacks in six provinces during the same period in 2022, the report said.
The United Nations recorded 1,414 security-related incidents, a 2 percent increase from the 1,384 incidents recorded during the same period in 2022. Armed clashes decreased by 41 percent, from 104 to 61 incidents; detonations from improvised explosive devices by 72 percent, from 65 to 18.
Referring to the economy, the report said that the economic situation remained uncertain and fragile and the trade deficit is increasing due to rising imports.
The UN said that it has transferred $3.23 billion between 1 December 2021 and 15 October 2023 ($1.4 billion since January 2023), and the cash continued to indirectly support the stabilization of the Afghan currency.
According to the report, the return of so many people in such a short period of time is imposing a severe strain on the country’s economy and social fabric.
On girls’ education, the UN Secretary-General said that while girls and young women are reportedly able to access all-female madrasas, UNAMA has been unable to verify the number of girls studying in these institutions or the quality of the education provided, particularly with regard to whether it includes modern subjects and leads to the same opportunities as those provided to boys.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
The Afghan embassy in Oslo will resume consular services on coming Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul announced Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the resumption of consular services in Norway was a “positive step.”
In August last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul declared the consular services of Afghan missions in 14 Western countries including Norway to be invalid.
The statement cited corruption, lack of transparency and non-coordination with the ministry as reasons for the closure.
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