Afghan Diplomatic Missions Back Western Countries’ Stance on Elected Govt in Afghanistan

Earlier, the Taliban had denied Abdul Qayyum Zakir getting injured.

In a Facebook post, Saleh wrote that doctors of the 400-bed hospital called off Abdul Qayyum’s surgery in Kabul due to the possible reaction of the Taliban, and this Taliban commander was transferred outside the country.

However, Saleh stressed that the details of the transfer is unknown.

Qayyum Zakir is one of the Taliban’s senior military commanders who recently had been appointed as the Taliban’s war commander in Panjshir and Andarab by Hibatullah Akhundzada, leader of the group.

Following intense clashes between the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Taliban in Panjshir, sources told Afghanistan International that Zakir has been injured on September 12 in Dare Abdullah Khel and had been transferred to Kabul for treatment.

Despite the Taliban denying the injury of Abdul Qayyum Zakir, in the past weeks, multiple reports of his injury and even death have been published.

She emphasised that the resistance of Afghan women and girls is "incredible and brave" and every women’s movement in Afghanistan must be supported.

Davidian added that the Taliban should be held accountable based on their actions, and not statements.

The UN Women’s country representative stressed that the deteriorating situation for Afghan women in the past year has been unpredictable, but added that to prevent further backsliding, there should be sustainable support for the women and girls of Afghanistan.

Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior told Afghanistan International that the explosion had caused casualties and that all the victims were civilians.

According to Takor, the explosion took place after the Friday prayers when people were leaving the Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque.

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this explosion, but in the past, the Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K) has taken responsibility for similar attacks.

IS-K recently said in a statement that the Taliban had not been able to prevent the group’s attacks in Afghanistan.

He discussed this in a meeting with Mohammad Akbari, a former Shia-Hazara member of the Afghan Parliament.

Abdul Kabir, however, has not elaborated on when the investigation will be initiated. He has stressed that his office has received suggestions from Shia leaders on how to resolve their problems.

The Taliban has not explained what are the problems and issues that the Shia community in Afghanistan faces under their rule. They have been silent on the recognition of Jafari Shia sect as one of the two officially recognised sects of Afghanistan.

Recently, the members of the Afghan Shia Ulema Assembly criticised the Taliban for not recognising the Jafari sect which is one of their main demands from the Taliban.

The statement denounced violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of rights protected under international human rights treaties and conventions to which Afghanistan is a State Party, including abuses of the rights of members of ethnic and religious minority groups or other marginalized groups.

The special representatives and envoys also condemned, in particular, abuses of the rights of Afghan women and girls throughout the country, including restrictions on freedom of movement, as well as their exclusion from political, economic, educational and social spaces.

While denouncing increasing restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, notably through media repression, including of female reporters, the statement also condemned the detentions of both Afghan and foreign journalists.

They stressed on the urgency in continuing to address the grave humanitarian crisis in the country, including through steps to prepare the Afghan population for the upcoming winter.

Apart from this, the statement also expressed grave concern about the continued presence and operations of terrorists and terrorist groups in Afghanistan, including al-Qaeda and other groups with a stated aim to target countries in the region and beyond; and specifically condemned the recent presence of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan and emphasized that Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul was a clear example of the Taliban’s failure to meet their counter-terrorism commitments.

The special representatives and envoys of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States met in Washington D.C. on September 15, 2022, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Other officials from Japan, Qatar, Switzerland and UNAMA also participated in the meeting as observers, which included technical sessions with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

They urged the Taliban to take sustained and verifiable steps, consistent with their commitments and applicable international law, including international humanitarian law, against all terrorist groups and activity occurring in Afghanistan.

The statement also emphasised that enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan requires a credible and inclusive national dialogue leading to a constitutional order with a representative political system.

It also emphasised on the need for the Afghan central bank to (1) demonstrate its independence from political influence and interference; (2) demonstrate it has instituted adequate anti-money laundering and countering-the-financing-of-terrorism (AML/CFT) controls; and (3) complete a third-party needs assessment and onboard a reputable third-party monitor in order to solve the economic crisis of Afghanistan.