Tag: Afghanistan

  • Pakistan decides to ease visa regulation policy for Afghans

    Pakistan decides to ease visa regulation policy for Afghans

    In a federal cabinet meeting held on June 28, the government decided to ease the visa regulation policy for Afghans to encourage bilateral trade with Afghanistan in the hopes that this would benefit both the country’s economies.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif was presiding over the federal cabinet meeting.

    PM Shehbaz issued orders that six-month multiple-entry visas be given to the transporters from Afghanistan. The interior ministry has been given the power to extend this period to one year.

    A sub-category will also be introduced under the work visa category in the online visa system. The visa applications will be assessed on the basis of their existing passports and nationalities instead of their country of origin.

    The federal cabinet noted that this decision comes in an effort to promote bilateral trade with Afghanistan.

  • Pakistan sends aid to earthquake-stricken Afghanistan

    Pakistan sends aid to earthquake-stricken Afghanistan

    The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday dispatched relief supplies for the earthquake victims in Afghanistan on the special directives of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    Details indicate that the NDMA dispatched a shipment containing family tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and emergency medications, according to the NDMA spokesperson.

    “Pakistan has assured all possible support to ameliorate the sufferings of the Afghan people affected by the 6.1 magnitude earthquake which hit parts of Afghanistan on Wednesday, (June 22, 2022)”, it said.

    The relevant authorities were told on Wednesday by the PM Shehbaz Sharif, to assist Afghanistan when necessary. The PM expressed his grief over the earthquake in Afghanistan that claimed innocent lives in a message posted on his Twitter account. He said, “People in Pakistan share the sorrow and grief of their Afghan brethren.”

    Additionally, Imran Khan, a former minister, gave instructions to his KP government to arrange for medical facilities for the affected people in the neighbouring nation.

    Mahmood Khan, the chief minister of KP, has instructed the chief secretary and the health minister to send medical teams and aid to the nation’s earthquake-affected regions in accordance with orders from Imran Khan.

    A 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan early on Wednesday left 950 people dead, and more than 600 injured. The death toll is expected to rise as news from isolated mountain villages trickles in, according to a report by Reuters.

    Images posted on Afghan media showed houses in ruins and bodies lying on the ground covered in blankets.

    According to Salahuddin Ayubi, an official with the interior ministry, helicopters were used in the rescue effort to transport food and medical supplies to the injured.

    The earthquake on Wednesday was the deadliest since 2002. The US Geological Survey (USGC) reported that it struck about 44 kilometres (27 miles) from the southeast Afghan city of Khost, close to the Pakistani border.

  • IN PICTURES: Earthquake kills 950 people in Afghanistan

    IN PICTURES: Earthquake kills 950 people in Afghanistan

    At least 950 people have died in Afghanistan as a result of an earthquake. The earthquake was magnitude 6.1 at a depth of 51 km while the epicentre was about 44 km from Khost city in Afghanistan, said the US Geological Survey (USGS). 

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his grief over the loss of innocent lives in the earthquake. “Deeply grieved to learn about the earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief & sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities working to support Afghanistan in this time of need.”

    Disturbing images of the Paktika province near the Pakistani border are being widely shared on social media, including wrecked stone dwellings, people being carried on stretchers, rubble and ruined homes.

    Helicopters are being used by the Afghan authorities in a rescue effort to transport food and medical supplies to the injured.

  • Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul attacked, Daesh claims responsibility

    Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul attacked, Daesh claims responsibility

    The Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh, has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul that killed at least two people and injured seven on Saturday (June 18). Reuters reported that on an affiliated Telegram channel, the local branch of Daesh said the attack was in response to the derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by BJP spokespersons in India.

    The attack on Karteparwan Gurdwara killed one Sikh worshipper and a Taliban fighter. A Taliban interior ministry spokesman told Reuters that the attackers had laden a car with explosives but it had detonated before reaching its target.

    Karteparwan Gurdwara was the only operational Sikh temple in Kabul of the four Gurudwaras in the Afghan capital. This is not the first attack by Daesh on a Gurdwara. In 2020, the militant group attacked a 400-year-old Gurudwara in Kabul, which left 25 dead.

    Read more- ‘We will hunt you down and make you pay’: Biden reacts to 85 killed in Kabul blasts

    There has been a rise in attacks on religious minorities in Afghanistan. Most of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), the regional branch of ISIL/Daesh.

  • Famous Afghan anchor forced to sell street food after Taliban takeover

    Afghan journalist Musa Mohammadi was spotted selling street food in order to make ends meet. After the Taliban takeover, the country has experienced economic turbulence, forcing professionals like Mohammadi into a state of poverty.

    Kabir Haqmal, lecturer at Kabul University and former journalist, shared Mohammadi’s picture on Twitter with the caption, “Mohammadi worked for years as an anchor and reporter on different TV channels. He now has no income to feed his family and sells street food to earn some money.”

    In another tweet, Haqmal added, “It is also important to look at how the well-to-do people in a country have reached this stage, and what will happen to the poor. We don’t know what to call the change.“

    The viral post drew the attention of Ahmadullah Wasiq, Director of the National Radio and Television, who ensured Mohammadi’s employment in his response.

    Wasiq’s responded: “Unemployment of Musa Mohammadi, a spokesman for a private television station, was highlighted on social media. As the director of the National Radio and Television, I assure him that we will appoint him within the framework of the National Radio and Television. We need all Afghan professionals.”

    https://twitter.com/WasiqAhmadullah/status/1537122260212977665?s=20&t=7i3XCpZ0jBaS_7mpTMgEdA

    Like Mohammadi, Afghan journalists have been facing never-ending challenges since the Taliban’s takeover. Last month, Afghan female TV presenters were forced to cover their faces while appearing on air.

    This ruling was widely criticised by many, calling it another step by the Taliban to promote extremism.

  • After meeting Bilawal, German FM tests positive for Covid-19

    After meeting Bilawal, German FM tests positive for Covid-19

    German Foreign Minister (FM) Annalena Baerbock tested positive for Covid-19, her ministry confirmed on Tuesday, reports Reuters.

    Earlier, Baerbock met her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Islamabad. She has also cancelled all further dates of the trip, which also included stops in Greece and Turkey.

    Responding to the news, FM Bilawal wished Baerbock a quick recovery. He tweeted, “Building on our excellent talks today, I look forward to our continued engagement and future interactions to further solidify Pakistan and Germany partnership.”

    Baerbock reached Islamabad today (Tuesday) on a two-day visit.

    Baerbock and Bilawal held a joint presser in the capital. It has been reported that Pakistan will inaugurate its Consulate General in Munich soon.

    ‘We support the work of the UN and their stance on Kashmir’: FM Baerbock

    During the presser, Bilawal said, “If India fails to condemn the comments, then it’s a reflection that it’s not a secular India but rather a Hindu-superiority India. We would want to engage with India but with a rationale.”

    Talking about the Kashmir issue, Baerbock said, “The foundation of human rights is indivisible and this counts for every region in the world. This also counts for Kashmir, this counts for women’s rights. This counts for minority rights and religious rights Therefore, we support the work of the UN and their stance on Kashmir to ensure that all human rights are being guaranteed.”

    “We believe that constructive approaches and measures from both sides are the only way forward to improve the relationships between India and Pakistan. The bilateral agreement along the line of control last year was a positive step”, she added.

    ‘Pakistan had been Germany’s closest and most reliable partner‘: FM Baerbock

    About the Afghan situation, the German FM said, “It is not the mistake of the people that the Taliban overthrew the government and since then have tightened their grip on Afghan society,” she said, promising that Germany would continue to provide humanitarian aid and support people who need it, especially women and girls.

    The diplomat highlighted that Pakistan had been Germany’s “closest and most reliable partner” in that regard, revealing that under this close cooperation between the two countries, 14,000 Afghans, who were at risk in the country, could travel to Germany via Pakistan and were able to start a new life in safety and without fear.

    ‘Pakistan does not want to be dragged in conflict’: FM Bilawal

    Bilawal also highlighted that Pakistan was playing an outside role in mitigating the economic crisis in Afghanistan. “This is the face of Pakistan. A modern Muslim country”, he said.

    While talking about the Ukraine crisis, Bilawal maintained that Pakistan “does not want to be dragged in conflict particularly given that we have just experienced decade after decade of conflict in Afghanistan”.

  • Anti-polio infrastructure collapsing in Waziristan, 6th case registered

    Anti-polio infrastructure collapsing in Waziristan, 6th case registered

    On May 27, the Government of Pakistan issued a press release on the Pakistan Polio Erradication Programme’s website. In this report, it was confirmed that on May 26, two new cases of polio were confirmed by the Pakistan National Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad.

    This marks the 5th and 6th cases of polio, reported in Pakistan this year. The two news cases are associated with two 18 months old children born in Mir Ali Tehsil, a girl and a boy, who both started experiencing the onset of paralysis as early as May 10 and May 11, respectively.

    All six children who have contracted polio are from North Waziristan, where more cases are expected through the year due to a high rate of refusal to give the vaccine and the illegal but process of finger-marking without vaccinations. Considering that the only endemic countries at this point in the whole world are Pakistan and Afghanistan, it must be noted that there is great significance to exploring the causes of this reoccurrence of the disease in the context of polio campaigns and their efficacy in KPK and FATA.

    Polio scam

    The problems with Pakistan’s polio vaccination programme are complex and multifold. On May 28, The News reported that only recently around 8,000 children from 22 union councils, up to the age of five have been identified as never been vaccinated with the oral dose of the polio vaccine. Vaccinators, refusing parents and area incharges colluded to carry out the scam. This was immediately revealed after the two new cases in North Waziristan were registered. Reportedly, so far the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has been relying on fake reports which claimed that 95% children were being vaccinated during each campaign. This leads to a gross underestimation of the number of children still unvaccinated.

    Abduction of Dr Zeeshan

    Journalists working on Waziristan also tweeted on May 26, reported the abduction of Dr Zeeshan, who was serving as a Polio N-STOP officer in Waziristan, who had been working effortlessly on the polio campaign there. He was kidnapped while still on duty. Dawn reported that Dr Zeeshan had come from Swat to specially oversee an anti-polio drive. After involving the law enforcement alongside jirga negotiations, Bannu commissioner Arshad Khan managed to recover Dr Zeeshan.

    The political atmosphere in Waziristan actively creates the strongest hurdle in Pakistan’s journey towards a polio-free nation. 260,000 workers are deployed across the nation to vaccinate children under the age of five. Considering the perceptual concerns of people of Waziristan, it seems unlikely that the situation would improve radically unless some really necessary steps are taken to tackle the perception regarding the vaccine. Access to children in security-compromised areas, attacks on health care workers coupled with governance and operational failures continues to elongate this problem for Pakistan.

    KPK govt failure

    In 2014, Imran Khan government launched the Sehat ka Insaf campaign in KPK where the aim was to target all 9 vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio. This program was restricted to the provincial government and sought to undo completely any international involvement. Although it may seem like this is a good strategy to gain people’s trust to vaccinate, this utter lack of oversight has heavily contributed to the fake markings. This is apparent from the fact that the kids who developed polio were marked in the national record as having been vaccinated six or even seven times.

  • Pakistan, TTP extend ceasefire indefinitely, agree to continue negotiations

    Pakistan, TTP extend ceasefire indefinitely, agree to continue negotiations

    The Government of Pakistan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have agreed to extend a ceasefire, reportedly indefinitely and continue negotiations to end the conflict that has resulted in the killings of thousands of people, reports Dawn.

    The agreement was made after both the government of Pakistan delegation and the TTP delegation met and held separate meetings with the Acting Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund in Afghanistan.

    Afghanistan’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid and TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani had earlier announced the extension of the ceasefire till May 30.

    From the TTP’s side, disbandment of the faction being termed as an armed militant group and the reversal of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were key demands.

    However, the government didn’t accept the demands, saying that some demands were acceptable whereas others were not going to be accepted by Pakistan.

    The government’s delegation also made it clear that no armed group would be allowed to enter Pakistan territory.

    The next round of negotiations is expected to take place in the second week of June, in which a tribal jirga will hold direct talks with the TTP in Kabul.

  • Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

    Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

    Taliban authorities issued a decree on Wednesday, ordering female Afghan TV presenters and other women on screen to cover their faces while appearing on air.

    The Afghan spokesman of the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue announced that it will be mandatory for all women in the country to cover their faces in public, including those who appear on the screen. The new decree will take effect from 21 May, reports Reuters.

    One female Afghan journalist working for a local TV station in Kabul told BBC, “They are putting indirect pressure on us to stop us presenting on TV.”

    “How can I read the news with my mouth covered? I don’t know what to do now but I must work, I am the breadwinner of my family,” she added.

    The spokesman referred to the ruling as “advice” as it is not clear what will happen to anyone who fails to comply. “Based on information received by Tolo news, the order has been issued to all media outlets in Afghanistan.”

    The decision is being widely criticised on Twitter, many people calling it another step by the Taliban to promote extremism.

    https://twitter.com/GirlFrmKandahar/status/1527314957603586048?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ
    https://twitter.com/Zhalsarmast/status/1527575760705204225?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ

    https://twitter.com/GaheezSaapai/status/1527434149362946048?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ

    It is pertinent to mention that this recent ruling has come two weeks after all women were ordered to cover themselves from head to toe in public.

  • Pakistan wants to ensure rights to the women of Afghanistan: Bilawal Bhutto

    Pakistan wants to ensure rights to the women of Afghanistan: Bilawal Bhutto

     Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Pakistan wants to ensure rights to the women of Afghanistan.

     The foreign minister in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said, “I see women’s rights or women’s rights to education as rights granted to us in Islam. We’ll be emphasising that the Taliban keep their international commitments and ensure rights to the women of Afghanistan because these are rights guaranteed to women in Islam,” Bilawal said when he was asked if Islamabad had engaged with the Afghan Taliban on how Muslim countries can give rights to women.

    The minister said it wasn’t an issue of the West. He also said that the first word in Quran is ‘Iqra’, which means to read. “Nowhere is it written that only men should read. We are all meant to pursue our path to education.”

    FM Bilawal said that Islamabad is looking to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to play its role in discouraging the increase in terrorist activity on Pakistan’s side of the border.

    “We continue to not only monitor this situation but work on our side to ensure that we can try to tackle the threat of terrorism and hope that the regime in Afghanistan lives up to their international commitment to not allow their soil to be used for terrorism.”

    “We must prioritise, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, ensure there’s no economic collapse and hold the Taliban regime to the international commitments. It was not Pakistan, but the United States who had direct communication with the Taliban regime before their takeover of Kabul. Pakistan and the international community believe it will not serve any of our interests if we abandon the people of Afghanistan once again,” said Bilawal.

    “We all believe, Pakistan believes and the international community believes, they will not serve any of our interests if we abandon the people of Afghanistan, once again,” said Bilawal.