Polio Vaccination Campaign to Begin Across Afghanistan

Jun 2, 2024, 12:15 GMT+1

The "Polio Free Afghanistan" organisation has announced that a polio vaccination campaign will commence across Afghanistan on Monday, June 3.

The organisation has urged the Afghan populace to vaccinate their children to protect them against this disease.

On Sunday, this organisation revealed the new polio campaign in Afghanistan on the X social platform but did not specify the campaign's duration.

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Taliban Issues Over 500 Licences For Emerald Mining In Panjshir

Jun 2, 2024, 10:56 GMT+1

Mohammad Qasim Amiri, the Taliban's head of mining in Panjshir, has announced that illegal mining and smuggling of minerals and precious stones in the province have been eliminated.

He stated that the Taliban has issued more than 560 licences to miners for the "legal extraction" of Panjshir emeralds.

The Taliban's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced in a statement on Saturday that the distribution of mining licences in Panjshir has created employment opportunities for more than 10,000 people.

Amiri has asked that the Taliban's Ministry of Mines send a technical team to survey all mineral areas in Panjshir and issue licences for the extraction of ruby mines.

The Taliban's Minister of Mines stated that the people of Panjshir should be prioritised in the issuance of licences for rubies and emeralds, as well as in the provision of job opportunities.

Over the past two years, the Taliban has repeatedly auctioned Panjshir emeralds.

Due to the economic crisis, the group has focused on extracting Afghanistan's mines, a practice that Taliban opponents consider illegal due to the Taliban's lack of legitimacy.

Taliban FM Calls for 'Meaningful Participation' Of Group In Doha Meet

Jun 2, 2024, 10:09 GMT+1

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's Foreign Minister, during a meeting with the European Union's Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated that the group would announce its stance after reviewing the third Doha meeting.

Muttaqi called for "meaningful participation" by the Taliban in this meeting.

Previously, Taliban officials had said they had designated their representatives for this meeting and were awaiting the agenda.

On Saturday, the Taliban's Foreign Ministry reported that Tomas Niklasson discussed the "importance" of the Taliban's presence at the third Doha meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul, highlighting that significant issues would be discussed.

The Taliban have not provided details on the key issues to be discussed at the third Doha meeting.

According to the statement from the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi mentioned that the Taliban's policy is "based on a balanced and positive engagement" with all countries worldwide.

Earlier, Zaker Jalali, an official from the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, said that after receiving the Doha meeting agenda, their representatives would participate in the main discussions of the third Doha meeting.

The third Doha meeting, hosted by the United Nations, is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.

The Taliban did not participate in the previous two Doha meetings attended by special representatives for Afghanistan from various countries.

The UN Secretary-General had stated that the Taliban's absence from the second Doha meeting did not affect the meeting.

Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have set several conditions for their participation in this meeting. One of these conditions is the transfer of Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations to the group.

Pakistan’s Baseless Accusations Damaging Both Sides’ Relations, Says Taliban

Jun 1, 2024, 18:15 GMT+1

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, said that the "baseless accusations" by Pakistani officials are damaging the relations between the two countries.

Mujahid stated on Saturday, June 1, in an interview with Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), that the insecurity in Pakistan has nothing to do with the group.

He mentioned that although the Taliban have tried to improve relations with Pakistan, "baseless accusations" have not been helpful.

The Taliban spokesperson stated, "We have made every effort to improve relations, but unfortunately, baseless and unjust accusations have not solved any problems."

The spokesperson for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, attributes the insecurity in Pakistan to the "weakness of the country's security forces”.

According to him, Pakistan must ensure its own security, and "Afghanistan has nothing to do with these issues”.

These remarks by Mujahid came just two days after a Pakistani delegation led by Khurram Agha, Pakistan’s Secretary Interior, travelled to Kabul to share the results of their investigation into the attack on Chinese engineers in the Besham area of Peshawar in Pakistan with the Taliban's Ministry of Interior.

According to a press release from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khurram Agha asked the Taliban during his visit to Kabul to arrest the perpetrators of the attack on Chinese engineers, who he claimed had fled to Afghanistan.

In the past three years, Pakistani officials have attributed attacks, particularly the recent attack on Chinese engineers, to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying that this attack was planned from Afghan soil.

Afghanistan’s Partition Will Have Negative Consequences For Region, Says Russian Envoy

Jun 1, 2024, 14:20 GMT+1

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President's special envoy for Afghanistan, stated that any partition of Afghanistan would have negative consequences for the entire region.

Kabulov also mentioned that it is still too early to discuss removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist organisations.

He added that although Russia is moving towards removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups, it is still premature to talk about it.

On Saturday, during a television interview with Russia-24, Zamir Kabulov said that if the number of ISIS members during the US presence in Afghanistan was 10,000 to 12,000, this number has decreased to about 3,000 during the Taliban's rule.

He said that the Taliban cannot eradicate ISIS because the group receives foreign financial support. However, he did not provide further details about the sources of this financial support.

Earlier, Andrey Belousov, the Russian Defence Minister, described Afghanistan as a source of instability in Central Asia and said, "We are on the frontline."

On Friday, May 31, the Russian Defence Minister emphasised that the situation in Afghanistan requires strengthening the country's borders with Tajikistan and the region.

According to reports from Russian state news agencies, a proposal to remove the Taliban from the list of banned organisations in Russia was recently presented to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President.

Kabulov said that if the Russian President accepts the proposal, "it will pave the way for recognition”.

However, he stressed that it is still too early to discuss this matter.

On May 28, while speaking to reporters in Tashkent, Putin mentioned that they are consulting with regional partners, including those in Central Asia, regarding relations with the Taliban. He mentioned that they take into account the views of each of their partners and friends and will coordinate accordingly on this matter.

20 Die After Boat Sinks in Nangarhar Province

Jun 1, 2024, 13:00 GMT+1

Local Taliban officials reported that 20 people had been killed when a boat capsized in a river in Nangarhar early Saturday morning.

The Taliban governor's office in Nangarhar stated that the bodies of five victims have been recovered so far. It was reported that the boat was carrying 25 people, including women and children.

According to Taliban officials, the boat sank around 7:30am on Saturday in the Momand Dara district.

The Taliban said that five passengers of the boat were rescued.

The statement added that emergency response teams from the Taliban's Ministry of Health and other officials have been dispatched to the scene to search for the bodies of the victims.