Urge Donor Countries to Honour Commitments to Afghanistan, Says UN Under-Secy General

Omari has not clarified which countries he meant when he mentioned “foreign invaders”, however, the Taliban usually refers to the United States and other countries which had been present in Afghanistan as part of the coalition of NATO member states from 2001 to 2021 as “occupiers”, and “invaders”.

Earlier, the Washington Post, citing leaked US documents, said that Afghanistan has changed into a hub of terrorism and ISIS coordination.

In an audio message released by the group's Ministry of Interior on the occasion of Eid, Omari emphasised that the Taliban has been established to stabilise Afghanistan.

Omari emphasised that those who publish “fake reports about the presence of forces that destabilise Afghanistan,” can’t tolerate the stability and current situation of Afghanistan.

He said that the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan is "media propaganda", while in the past 20 months of the Taliban reign in Afghanistan, ISIS has taken responsibility for bloody attacks in Kabul and various provinces of the country.

On the other hand, Central Asian countries have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the presence of ISIS fighters in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.

The ‘Bread and Red Flowers’ documentary will be screened at the special screening section of this film festival.

Bread and Red Flowers depicts the story of Afghan women's perseverance and suffering under the rule of the Taliban. The documentary tells the lives of three women.

After the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have been excluded from social life, which has once again brought the issue of Afghan women to become a hot political and artistic topic in the world.

This is not the first time that Sahra Mani has depicted the lives of Afghan women through her work. In 2018, she produced another movie called "A Thousand Girls Like Me".

The film narrated the story of the sexual assault of a girl which happens within a family. Khatera, the main character of this film, is repeatedly sexually assaulted and impregnated by her father. However, she rises up against her father and takes him to court.

However, some anti-Taliban Afghan politicians had joined the meeting virtually.

Those who did not participate in the Vienna meeting have not yet explained the reason behind their absence. Only Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), wrote on Twitter on Monday that he could not attend the meeting "due to pre-arranged engagements".

In his Twitter note, Nabil expressed his "gratitude" for holding this meeting and wished success to the participants.

According to Iranian media, the protesters also urged Iran to prevent the completion of the construction of Bakhshabad Dam on the Farah River.

According to Tasnim news agency, the residents of five cities of Sistan region including Zabul, Zahak, Hamon, Hirmand, and Nimroz, which are part of Sistan and Baluchistan province, participated in the demonstration on Sunday afternoon.

According to the news agency, the protestors criticised the performance of the foreign ministry and water commission of Iran regarding the pursuit of the water rights of Iran from Helmand River.

This is the fourth protest rally on the issue of water rights that has been held in the past few months. The Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasised that the Taliban are committed to providing the share of Iran from Helmand water rights.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the former Afghan National Security Advisor, told Afghanistan International that participants will discuss the coordination of efforts to establish a system based on the will of the people during the meeting.

According to ground reporters, National Resistance Front (NRF) leader, Ahmad Massoud; former National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta; Professor Nazif Shahrani; Media owner Sanjar Sohail; and other opposition figures entered the meeting venue.

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan had previously announced that this meeting will focus on building trust between the opposing factions of the Taliban and will continue for three days.

Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced, "Given the current situation in Afghanistan, it is of utmost importance to prioritise the alignment of perspectives in addressing the Afghan issue and to acknowledge every endeavour that facilitates consensus and constructive dialogue.” However, Nabil said that he has not been able to participate in the meeting.