Tag: Taliban

  • Pakistan bonds fall as investors brace for Afghanistan fallout

    Pakistan bonds fall as investors brace for Afghanistan fallout

    Pakistan’s international bonds came under selling pressure on Monday as market investors brace themselves for the fallout from the crisis in Afghanistan.

    Afghanistan’s US-backed government collapsed over the weekend as Taliban fighters seized the capital, Kabul, following a stunning advance that had seen the Islamist group take over most of the country.

    The likely evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan could strain the finances of neighbouring countries, fund managers say, and there is also concern over the potential for ‘western retaliation’ against Pakistan for providing a safe haven for the Taliban.

    As per a report of Financial Times, Pakistan’s dollar-denominated bonds fell by about one per cent to just above 100 cents on the dollar, with some longer dated issues sinking to their lowest prices in nine months. The yield on a 10-year bond issued in April this year, which moves in the opposite direction to the debt’s price, climbed by about a quarter of a percentage point to roughly 7.3 per cent.

    The country’s $8.8bn of dollar bonds have now fallen by about four per cent since mid-June.

    “There are a few concerns driving this move,” said head of emerging market debt at Legal and General Investment Management, Uday Patnaik to Financial Times. “One is the refugee crisis — clearly Pakistan is going to be affected by that, and that’s going to be expensive.”

    “A lot of people are also debating the possibility of formal or informal sanctions on Pakistan for working with the Taliban. We’ve been underweight for the last couple months because of these issues but like everyone else we didn’t expect this to happen so quickly.”

    Even prior to the recent sell-off, Pakistan already had some of the highest bond yields among emerging economies that are not considered to be at immediate risk of default. Its debt is rated B minus by Standard & Poor’s and by Fitch.

    The market’s focus has fallen on Afghanistan’s neighbours as the country itself does not have any internationally traded debt, with the ousted government having received most of its financing from western governments and other donors such as the World Bank and the IMF.

    The Current reached out to Chairman of KASB Securities, Ali Farid Khwaja for a word on this situation and said: “Global investors are and will be concerned about the spillover impact of the fall of Kabul and takeover by Taliban. Of course, they will need assurance that such a thing cannot happen in Pakistan and a Taliban government in Afghanistan will not destabilize Pakistan. The jury is still out. I think there are two important aspects of this. First the world would want to see whether Pakistan is standing by them on the values they claim to preach and promote, or do we share the ethos with Taliban. So far, from the commentary it seems that it is the latter. Except for a few media celebrities most politicians seems to be pleased with the Taliban victory. This alone is a bit disturbing purely from an image perspective. Secondly, we need to prove that the wall we have made on the border with Afghanistan will be strong enough to keep Taliban out of Pakistan. Global markets are sensitive to sentiment and hence managing perception is very important,” he added.

    While a Bloomberg journalist in Pakistan, Faseeh Mangi has also shed some light on the situation of Pakistan’s dollar bonds after Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

  • ‘I will marry four of you in one day’: Afghan women relate stories of horror as Taliban take over

    Terrifying stories of mistreatment of women in Afghanistan are being discussed on social media and are also being reported by news outlets ever since the Taliban started gaining control of Afghanistan two months ago.

    “When I heard that the Taliban had reached Kabul, I felt I was going to be a slave. They can play with my life any way they want.”

    A female university student in Afghanistan while talking to The Guardian expressed her feelings of fear and hopelessness after the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

    “Early on Sunday morning I was heading to university for a class when a group of women came running out from the women’s dormitory. I asked what had happened and one of them told me the police were evacuating them because the Taliban had arrived in Kabul, and they will beat women who do not have a burqa,” she said while sharing her experience on the day the Taliban entered Kabul.

    “We all wanted to get home, but we couldn’t use public transport. The drivers would not let us in their cars because they did not want to take responsibility for transporting a woman. It was even worse for the women from the dormitory, who are from outside Kabul and were scared and confused about where they should go.” she added.

    The men standing outside the university said: “Go and put on your chadari [burqa],” One called out, “It is your last days of being out on the streets.” Another said, “I will marry four of you in one day.”

    The Afghan student further shared, “I loved doing my nails. Today, as I was on my way home, I glanced at the beauty salon where I used to go for manicures. The shop front, which had been decorated with beautiful pictures of girls, had been whitewashed overnight.”

    “Now it looks like I have to burn everything I achieved in 24 years of my life. Having any ID card or awards from the American University is risky now; even if we keep them, we are not able to use them. There are no jobs for us in Afghanistan.”

    “Then today, when I heard that the Taliban had reached Kabul, I felt I was going to be a slave. They can play with my life any way they want.”

    “Or identity is being destroyed and nothing has been done by us to deserve this.”

    Women, specially female journalists are fearing for their life after the recent developments in the country.

    “For many years, I worked as a journalist … to raise the voice of Afghans, especially Afghan women, but now our identity is being destroyed and nothing has been done by us to deserve this,” Aaisha a prominent news anchor and political talk show host, said while speaking to The Guardian.

    “In the last 24 hours, our lives have changed and we have been confined to our homes, and death threatens us at every moment.”

    The homes of two female journalists were visited by Taliban fighters on Sunday, leaving both women “severely shaken psychologically,” CNN has reported.

    Taliban fighters are ‘going door-to-door and forcibly marrying girls as young as 12 and forcing them into sex slavery as they seize vast swathes of the Afghanistan from government forces,’ reported the Daily Mail on August 13.

    However, Taliban’s spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has refuted the claims.

  • ‘Don’t want women to be victims, they should be in govt’: Taliban

    ‘Don’t want women to be victims, they should be in govt’: Taliban

    The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join its government, reported Al-Jazeera.

    “A general amnesty has been declared for all, so you should start your routine life with full confidence,” said a statement from the Taliban. 

    Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said, “The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims, they should be in government structure according to Shariah law.”

    Enamullah’s statement represents the first comments on governance from a federal level across the country.

    Enamullah further added, “The structure of government is not fully clear, but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership and all sides should join.”

    Samangani remained vague on other details, however, implying people already knew the rules of the Islamic law the Taliban expected them to follow.

    “Our people are Muslims and we are not here to force them to Islam,” he said.

    Meanwhile, United States (US) President Joe Biden blamed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.

    In his speech, Biden said that the US troops could not defend a nation whose leaders “gave up and fled”, as did Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

    “I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I have learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House.

  • Ash­raf Ghani fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash: Russia

    Ash­raf Ghani fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash: Russia

    The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged on Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in, Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

    Russia has said it will retain a diplomatic presence in Kabul and hopes to develop ties with the Taliban even as it says it is in no rush to recognise them as the country’s rulers and will closely observe their behaviour.

    “As for the collapse of the (outgoing) regime, it is most eloquently characterised by the way Ghani fled Afghanistan,” Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA.

    “Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac,” he was quoted as saying.

    Ischenko, the Russian embassy spokesman, confirmed his comments to Reuters.

    President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said earlier it was unclear how much money the fleeing government would leave behind.

    “I hope the government that has fled did not take all the money from the state budget. It will be the bedrock of the budget if something is left,” Kabulov told Moscow’s Ekho Moskvy radio station.

    President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday fled Afghanistan as the Taliban entered Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    Ashraf left a note for his countrymen on social media, stating, “The Taliban have made it to remove me, they are here to attack all Kabul and the people of Kabul. In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out.”

    “Taliban have won the judgement of swords and guns and now they are responsible for protecting the countrymen’s honour, wealth and self-esteem. Didn’t they win the legitimacy of hearts,” wrote Ashraf Ghani.

  • ‘Cannot defend a nation whose leaders gave up and fled’: US President

    ‘Cannot defend a nation whose leaders gave up and fled’: US President

    United States (US) President Joe Biden blamed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.

    In his speech, Biden said that the US troops could not defend a nation whose leaders “gave up and fled”, as did Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

    “I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I have learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House.

    While Biden said he took responsibility for the fate of the US mission, he lashed out at the former Afghan government and military commanders who were put in place, organised, and supported by Washington over the last 20 years.

    Instead of standing up to the advancing Taliban — a highly experienced guerrilla force but more lightly armed than the US-supplied Afghan army — the government fled.

    “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” Biden said, adding he could no longer ask US soldiers to risk their lives in the country, 20 years on.

    “Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation-building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralised democracy.”

    “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” said the US president.

    “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them was the will to fight for their future,” added Biden.

    “If Afganistan is unable to mount any real resistance at the Taliban now, there is no chance that one more year, five more years or 20 more years the US military boots on the ground would have made any difference,” said Biden.

    Biden said that the political leaders were unable to stand for their own people. He said that the leaders were unable to negotiate for the future of their people when the chips were down.

    Biden acknowledged that the Taliban’s speed in retaking the country was unexpected.

    “The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. So what’s happened? Afghanistan’s political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight,” Biden said.

    “Our true strategic competitors, China and Russia, would love nothing more than the United States to continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely,” he said.

    Biden said he was “left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay: how many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghans — Afghanistan’s civil war — when Afghan troops will not?”

    “I will not repeat the mistakes we made in the past,” said Biden.

    President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan fled the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.

  • Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was held on Monday to deliberate on the emerging situation in Afghanistan. The NSC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by senior cabinet members and services chiefs.

    The participants were briefed on the latest developments in Afghanistan and their possible impact on Pakistan and the region.

    “The NSC noted that Pakistan was a victim of the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan and therefore desired peace and stability. Participants reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to an inclusive political settlement as the way forward representing all Afghan ethnic groups. It was reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country,” read a press release issued after the meeting.

    “The NSC called on all parties in Afghanistan to respect the rule of law, protect the fundamental human rights of all Afghans, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organisation/group against any country.”

    PM Khan said all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists, and staff of international organisations seeking to leave Afghanistan. The committee reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Afghanistan never had a military solution.

    “The ideal time to end the conflict through negotiations might have been when the United States (US)/ North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops were at maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Continuation of foreign military presence for a longer duration now would not have yielded a different outcome. Therefore, endorsement by the Biden administration of the previous US administration’s decision of troops withdrawal is indeed a logical conclusion to this conflict,” added the press release.

    “It is now time for the international community to work together to ensure an inclusive political settlement for long-term peace, security, and development of Afghanistan/ the region.”

  • Afghan women fear for their lives as Taliban take charge

    Afghan women fear for their lives as Taliban take charge

    The Taliban have declared that the war in Afghanistan is over after taking control of the Presidential Palace in Kabul as western nations evacuate their citizens from the Afghan capital.

    Executive Director of an NGO for girls’ education Pashtana Durrani, while speaking to Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4 News, said, “This means losing your houses, your dreams, your goals, your ambition… everything. This means losing our identity as Afghans.”

    “That was selling us out. That was to let the elite and the posh people get a way out. Let’s sell the people of Afghanistan. Let’s sell the civilians of Afghanistan,” said Pashtana, referring to the Doha peace talks.

    She further added, “Let’s throw them to the wolves again.”

    “Children are bleeding, people are taking refuge in parks of Kabul, people are taking refuge in shops of Kandahar. There is no way out…I am going to lose everything that my father, my whole family, and I have worked for. Every girl and every person has worked for, in the last 20 years,” added Pashtana.

    “What are you going to do if there is a bang on the door?” asked the anchorperson.

    “[Sighs] Pray … Pray, probably. It’s going to be the last thing that I’m going to do, but that’s the only thing I can do. I don’t have anything else to do,” replied Pashtana.

    Talking to BBC News, spokesman for the Taliban, Shaheeh Suhail said that the militants want a “peaceful transfer of power” in Afghanistan in the next few days.

    BBC’s Yalda Hakim questioned Suhail that the women in Afghanistan are fearful that the Taliban will reimpose the regime of the 90’s back in Afghanistan where women couldn’t go to school and could not work.

    She asked him if it would be the same now. “There are hundreds of schools and universities in which students are studying and no restrictions have been imposed on them, they are continuing their studies,” said Suhail.

    Hakim questioned that in Herat when women arrived at their university they were asked to leave by the Taliban forces. “What I am telling you is the policy. The policy is that women can have access to education, work, and observe the hijab, that is it,” replied Suhail.

    Meanwhile, a senior analyst who specialises in Afghan relations says that “You never know with the Taliban. They have become really media savvy and know what to say and how to say it. In regards to women, they are saying that they will let them have their freedom now, but they can change their stance anytime.”

    Afghanistan’s Minister of Education Rangina Hamidi says she is fearful “like every woman in Afghanistan”.

    Talking to BBC News, Hamidi said, “Yes, Like the fear that every mother has in Afghanistan, the fear that every woman has in the country [I have it too].”

    “Deep down in my heart I keep telling myself to think that I haven’t done anything bad and hopefully I wouldn’t have to pay the price for joining a government position,” added Hamidi.

    “I might face consequences that I never ever dreamed of. I guess that’s the price we pay for trying to make the world a little better than one we came into, particularly Afghanistan,” said Hamidi.

    The anchorperson questioned if she was fearful of a “knock on the door”.

    “Anything is possible, I am actually sitting in the hallway of our house, where there are not many windows close by. Just a little earlier there were gunshots, I brought my daughter and the other people living in the house with us to be a bit safe. But in terms of how safe we are, and how this night if we remain until the morning, it is very difficult to predict if we [will be alive],” replied Hamidi.

    Speaking from the capital Kabul as Taliban insurgents take control of the country, the minister said she didn’t expect such a response from a president who she “trusted fully”.

     “I’m in shock, I’m in disbelief. I did not think that things would happen the way they did.

    “And the saddest part is that I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect this from the president that I knew and a president who I trusted fully.”

    “Somehow in my heart, in the back of my mind, I still want to believe that this is not true – that he left – but if he did, it’s really a shame.”

    Journalist Anisa Shaheed says she will not give in to the Taliban. “There are many untold stories in Afghanistan and we need to tell them.”

    https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1426921642505211911

    “Nothing is harder than reporting on a child who has been disabled, a child’s rights being violated, or a child crying, or when a woman is crying because of sheer oppression,” said Anisa.

    Previously, under the Taliban rule, women were not allowed to work, to go to school. At times they weren’t allowed to leave their home without a male guardian.

  • ‘Afghanistan has broken the shackles of slavery’: PM Imran Khan

    ‘Afghanistan has broken the shackles of slavery’: PM Imran Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan said that cultural imposition is equivalent of ‘mental slavery’ and it is very hard to break the shackles of mental slavery, adding that the Afghans had “broken the shackles of slavery”. PM Khan was speaking at the launch of the first phase of the Single National Curriculum (SNC) for students of grades one to five today.

    https://twitter.com/hoorainp1/status/1427163765859041280?s=21

    PM’s comments come as the Taliban rapidly take control of Afghanistan.

    The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.

    Criticising the two parallel systems of education in the country, PM said that the existence of English medium schools has led to the adoption of “someone else’s culture” in Pakistan.

    “When you adopt someone’s culture, you believe it to be superior and you end up becoming a slave to it,” said PM Khan.

    “I had the vision to introduce the Single National Curriculum, but the elites making the most of the current system will not change that easily,” said the premier.

    “When you acquire English medium education, you adopt the entire culture and it’s a major loss because you become a slave to that particular culture,” he said.

    “Our class divisions were formed only on the basis of an English education,” said PM Khan.

    He said a decision had also been taken to teach the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) from grades eight to 10. However, he told Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood that the plan to introduce the course by 2024 was too far away, adding that it should be implemented in five to six months.

    The SNC had been launched from classes one to five in public and private schools as well as seminaries in all provinces except Sindh.

  • ‘I thought it would be best to get out’, President Ashraf Ghani leaves, Taliban takeover Kabul

    ‘I thought it would be best to get out’, President Ashraf Ghani leaves, Taliban takeover Kabul

    President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan fled the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    Ashraf left a note for his countrymen on social media, stating, “The Taliban have made it to remove me, they are here to attack all Kabul and the people of Kabul. In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out.”

    “Taliban have won the judgement of swords and guns and now they are responsible for protecting the countrymen’s honour, wealth and self-esteem. Didn’t they win the legitimacy of hearts,” wrote Ashraf Ghani.

    “Never in history has dry power given legitimacy to anyone and won’t give it to them. They are now facing a new historical test; either they will protect the name and honour of Afghanistan or they will prioritze other places and networks,” penned Ghani.

    Ghani further added, “Many people and many Aqshar are in fear and are unreliable in the future. It is necessary for the Taliban to assure all the people, nations, different sectors, sisters and women of Afganistan to win the legitimacy and the hearts of the people. Make a clear plan to do and share it with the public.”

    “I will always continue to serve my nation with an intellectual moment and a plan to develop. Lots more talk for the future. Long live Afghanistan,” said Ghani.

    The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.

    Ghani did not say where he had travelled to, but leading Afghan media group Tolo News suggested he had gone to Tajikistan.

    Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the peace process, had earlier accused Ghani of “leaving the people to this situation”.

    However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday in a televised speech said that the remobilisation of Afghanistan’s armed forces was a “top priority”.

    “As a historic mission, I will not let the imposed war on people cause more deaths,” said Ashraf Ghani.

    “In the current situation, the remobilisation of our security and defence forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard,” he said on Saturday. A day later, he fled Afghanistan.

  • Pakistanis lash out at their govt for celebrating the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

    Pakistani Twitter has lashed out at ministers of the ruling party for celebrating the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Two notable Ministers, including Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, tweeted on the situation in Afghanistan.

    WAIT A MINUTE…WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN?

    In a rapid turn of events, President Ghani of Afghanistan has reportedly fled the country as the Taliban enter Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    The Taliban took the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, late on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, they seized the city of Jalalabad. They are now in control of the Torkham border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Within a week they have taken down Afghan government flags and hoisted their own white banners.

    Despite two decades of war with American-led forces, and reportedly more than 83 billion dollars spent by the US, the Taliban have survived and are now effectively in control of Pakistan’s neighbouring country. They have managed to do this in 10 days time with little resistance from the Afghan forces.

    WHAT DID PAKISTANI POLITICIANS DO ON TWITTER?

    Zartaj Gul in a tweet said, “India gets an appropriate gift on its Independence Day- its fascist terror-oriented Government should celebrate now today with tears and sorrow.”

    “The Kabul regime it used to wreak terrorism in Pakistan across many years has fallen and people are rejoicing all across Afghanistan,” said Zataj Gul in a tweet, which was later deleted.

    People on social media are calling out the ministers for their tweets.

    https://twitter.com/laaleen/status/1426877258770391040
    https://twitter.com/apniISPdot/status/1426869676500529154

    Shireen Mazari posted an image of the US leaving from Vietnam after the war ended in 1975 with an image of a US carrier leaving Afghanistan. Many on Twitter thought it was a ‘celebration’ of the US leaving an occupied territory, although she tried to clear her stance that it is not what she meant.

    WHERE IS HAMID KARZAI?

    According to a video message circulating on social media, the former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has said that he will stay in Kabul with his family.

    TALIBAN STANCE

    Three diplomatic sources said Ali Ahmad Jalali, a US-based academic and former Afghan interior minister, could be named head of an interim administration in Kabul, though it was unclear whether the Taliban had agreed, Reuters has reported.

    A Taliban spokesman has told the BBC that the group “will respect rights of women” as it takes control of Afghanistan.

    A spokesperson for the Taliban, Suhail Shaheen, told BBC News: “We will respect rights of women…our policy is that women will have access to education and work, to wear the hijab.”

    PAKISTAN’S STANCE:

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Pakistan will keep on playing a positive role in the establishment of peace in Afghanistan.  Addressing the media in Multan, he said the whole world has acknowledged Pakistan’s stance regarding the Afghanistan issue. He further said that Afghan people want peace in their country and they are to decide their future for themselves. The minister added that Pakistan has no favourites in Afghanistan and whoever forms the government there, Pakistan will accept it.

    Meanwhile, an Afghan political delegation led by Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani arrived in Pakistan on Sunday evening.