NRF Seeks Prisoner Swap With Taliban After Downing Their Helicopter

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said, “The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all”. Meanwhile, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an Indian politician condemned the attack in Kabul and called it a “terror attack”. “All nations must unite in condemning this violence against Sikhs”, he added. Bhagwant Mann, chief minister of Punjab in India, urged senior Indian officials “for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul”.

Anarkali Honaryar, former Afghan senator said “Afghanistan is a graveyard for religious minorities”, as many called it a “war crime” and emphasized on the protection of religious minorities in Afghanistan.

Former Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, strongly condemned the attack and emphasized on unity among people of Afghanistan. Karzai called for the start of a national dialogue to establish long-term peace and stability in the country.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) said that the attackers had thrown hand grenades toward the guards, before entering the Gurudwara.

As per the Taliban official figures, two were killed and seven have been injured, however, a Sikh citizen from Kabul told Afghanistan International that “casualties are more than what Taliban announced”.

Taliban didn’t allow journalists to enter the place of the attack and interview the victims. Taliban has repeatedly restricted journalists over the past few months from accessing information on attacks and explosions in different cities of Afghanistan. Also, the public hospitals avoid providing information about the casualties due to pressure from the Taliban.

In the few past months, Afghanistan has witnessed several bloody attacks on places of worship of Sufis and Shiites in different provinces of the country, most of which has been claimed by the Islamic State- Khosran (IS-K) branch.

Earlier, the US Department of State in a report on religious freedom in the world stated that religious freedom has deteriorated in the country since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.

As per IFRC, 70 percent of families in Afghanistan have not been able to provide for basic food needs for themselves. The statement by IFRC quoted, Dr Mohammad Nabi Burhan, Secretary General of Afghan Red Crescent, as saying, “This is one of the worst humanitarian crises I have seen in Afghanistan, in more than 30 years as a humanitarian aid worker. It is horrifying to see the extent of hunger and resurgence of poverty that we have fought so hard to eradicate.”

IFRC has warned of “devastating effects” because of lack of foodstuff specially for “homes headed by widows, the elderly, people with disabilities, and children”.

According to IFRC statistics, it is estimated that 3 million children are at risk of malnutrition and diseases like acute watery diarrhea and measles “due to weakened immunity". The statement added that the hunger crisis, especially for Afghans in rural and remote areas, is “worrying”.

Qalibaf said that these two issues are the most important subjects which require neighbouring countries’ cooperation in Afghanistan, as per Iranian media reports.

He also pointed out that the formation of an inclusive government with the participation of all Afghans is the solution to the problems in Afghanistan. Earlier, Qalibaf had also said that an inclusive government is needed for a stable Afghanistan.

Since Taliban’s takeover, Iranian officials have asked the Taliban to form an inclusive government and cited it as a precondition for recognizing the Taliban government.

Joly said that her government will jointly work with Germany to solve problems regarding education in Afghanistan. She added that they will ask the Taliban to reopen secondary schools for girls.

Simin Barakzai, a former Afghan MP, said that the meeting took place in the presence of several Canadian and Afghan MPs and called on Joly to discuss girl’s right to education with Taliban authorities.

Recently, the UN rights chief had slammed the Taliban’s “institutionalized systematic oppression” of women and girls in Afghanistan, warning they face a “critical” situation. “Since the Taliban returned to power last August, Afghans have been “experiencing some of the darkest moments of a generation”, Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Noorzai, founder of ‘Hezb Tahrik Mardomi’ party, had resigned from his position in 2018 due to allegations of corruption. He thanked the Taliban’s commission for providing ground for return of Afghan politicians.

According to the Taliban’s commission, at least 100 Afghan figures have returned to the country till now, including former member of senate and council of scholars, Mawlawi Abdul Khaibar Chechaka. However, what is interesting to note is that some of the returnees, Farooq Wardak, former minister of education, Sediq Chakari, former minister of Hajj and Amanullah Ghaleb, former head of Breshna company, like Noorzai, have been accused of administrative corruption and embezzlement of millions of dollars.

The Taliban Commission of Liaison and Repatriation of Afghan Personalities had been formed under the supervision of Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, the Taliban’s acting minister of mines and petroleum, to help Afghans return to their country.