Tajik President Asks for Formation of Inclusive Government in Afghanistan

Jul 20, 2023, 13:34 GMT+1

Emomali Rahmon, the president of Tajikistan, addressed the Gulf Cooperation Council- Central Asia Summit in Jeddah and said that an inclusive government must be formed in Afghanistan.

Rahmon emphasised that the Taliban should grant the rights and freedom of all ethnic groups as well as women in Afghanistan.

The first meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and five Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan was held in Jeddah on Wednesday.

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UK MP Ellwood Apologises for "Lauding" Taliban in Afghanistan

Jul 20, 2023, 12:38 GMT+1

After facing backlash over a tweet which appeared to praise the progress the Taliban rule, Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East and a former soldier, deleted the tweet on Wednesday night after saying, “I got it wrong”.

Reportedly, the Conservative chair of the defence select committee is facing a no confidence vote over the tweet storm.

“However well intentioned, reflections of my personal visit could have been better worded. I am sorry for my poor communication. I stand up, speak my mind, try to see the bigger picture and offer solutions, especially on the international stage, as our world turns a dangerous corner. I don't always get it right,” he tweeted.

Earlier, Ellwood had urged the UK to re-engage with the country and reopen its embassy. He had said security in Afghanistan had “vastly improved” since the Taliban returned to power, and suggested the West encourage the uptake of women’s rights “incrementally”.

He praised the appearance of solar panels in Afghanistan and noted that the country's opium trade had "all but disappeared".

The video posted by Ellwood, which even the Taliban welcomed, came as part of a visit to Afghanistan with the Halo Trust, a de-mining organisation.

However, with criticism pouring in from the UK Prime minister Rishi Sunak and even his colleagues on the defence committee and a number of Conservative MPs, Ellwood clarified that during his visit he also saw a very vulnerable economy that will soon collapse without international intervention and turn this country into a failed state, with terrorist camps no doubt returning and triggering mass migration.

“I also saw the increasing restrictions on women and girls. This suggests our current strategy; of shouting from afar, after abruptly abandoning the country in 2021, is not working. My simple call to action was to see our embassy re-open again and pursue a more direct strategy to help the 40 million people that we abandoned,” he stressed.

In the statement, he also wrote that the loss of his brother in a terrorist bombing in Bali, Indonesia, forced him to visit Afghanistan many times over the past decade and understand his country's efforts to combat terrorism.

Afghan Soil Will Not Be Used Against Other Countries, Taliban’s FM Promises Pak Envoy

Jul 20, 2023, 10:20 GMT+1

During a meeting with Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan in Kabul, the Taliban’s foreign minister said that the group doesn’t allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.

However, over the past week, Islamabad has announced that Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) enjoys sanctuary and freedom of movement in Afghanistan.

After Pakistan’s vocal criticisms of the Taliban, Durrani arrived in Kabul on Wednesday. His visit to Kabul comes a few days after the recent attacks by militants on Pakistani soldiers in Baluchistan province.

After the attack, the Pakistani army expressed its concern in two separate statements about the safe havens of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan and the participation of Afghan citizens in "terrorist" activities on Pakistani soil.

In a statement, the Pakistani army announced that it has "serious concerns" about the existence of safe havens and the freedom of action of the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan.

However, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Twitter that Muttaqi conveyed to Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan affairs that "Afghans will never harm anyone”.

During the meeting with Durrani, the Taliban’s foreign minister also discussed economic relations with Pakistan and expressed hope that the political and economic relations between the group and Pakistan will develop further. Muttaqi stressed that this requires “joint work”.

Muttaqi added that “a good opportunity has come up to strengthen the economy” under the Taliban rule.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry spokesperson said that in response to Muttaqi, Durrani expressed his country’s readiness to develop bilateral political and economic relations and stressed that Islamabad will pay serious attention to completing the construction of the Torkham-Jalalabad highway.

Afghanistan’s Situation Alarming, Says Kyrgyzstan President

Jul 20, 2023, 09:10 GMT+1

Sadyr Japarov, the president of Kyrgyzstan, called the situation in Afghanistan alarming and emphasised on the continuation of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.

During the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - Central Asia Summit in Jeddah, Japarov added that they are committed to fighting against terrorism.

The first summit of the heads of state of the Gulf Cooperation Council and five Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan had been held in Jeddah on Wednesday.

The Kyrgyz president addressed the participants and asked the international community not to leave Afghanistan behind in isolation while the country’s citizens continue to suffer.

He added that humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan and full support for projects that help revive the Afghan economy are necessary.

Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia hosted the GCC-Central Asia summit.

Bin Salman addressed the summit and said that he hopes for "new prospects" in the relations between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the five Central Asia states.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia announced that the Jeddah summit reflects the commitment of the participating countries to strategic cooperation.

In a joint statement, the participating heads of states in the GCC summit stressed on the importance of strengthening political and strategic relations and condemning terrorism.

Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue Sets Confiscated Musical Instruments on Fire

Jul 19, 2023, 15:20 GMT+1

The Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced that they had burned down musical instruments in several provinces, including Kabul.

The ministry had stated that these instruments had been destroyed and then burnt “according to Sharia law”.

When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they banned music across Afghanistan, including on Afghan media.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has been implementing the group’s policies to ban music and had collected instruments from various ceremonies.

Taliban members in the capital and provinces of Afghanistan visit wedding ceremonies and prevent people from playing music.

Taliban Bans Afghan Girls From Participating in University Entrance Exams

Jul 19, 2023, 13:55 GMT+1

The Taliban’s National Examination Authority announced that this year only male students can participate in the university entrance exam in Afghanistan.

The Taliban agency on Tuesday added that the ban on the participation of female students in the university entrance exams has been decided by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Taliban.

The Taliban's National Examination Authority emphasised that the organisation was not part of the decision-making process on the ban of Afghan girls from university entrance exams.

The Taliban insists that the ban on women's education is temporary, but the continued ban on girls’ participation in university entrance exams shows that the group has no intention to lift the ban on Afghan girls’ right to higher education this year.

However, the National Examination Authority said that the first round of entrance exams for Afghan government universities will be held on July 20 and 21 in Ghor, Sar-e Pul, Daikundi, Logar, Faryab, Khost, Jawzjan, Takhar, Paktia, Baghlan and Bamyan provinces.