Taliban In Kunar Province Bans Broadcast Of Images Of Living Creatures
Local sources told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that the Taliban in Kunar Province has banned the broadcast of images of living creatures.
Local sources told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that the Taliban in Kunar Province has banned the broadcast of images of living creatures.
In a meeting with local officials, the governor of Kunar stressed that from now on, no interviews will be conducted with the visual media.
In addition to national television, there is a private channel called Zala in Kunar, which has also been ordered to refrain from publishing images of living creatures.
Previously, the Taliban had banned the publication of images in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis and Helmand provinces.
The Taliban's media restrictions over the past three years have led to the closure of dozens of media outlets and the loss of hundreds of journalists. Concerns have also been raised that these restrictions will be extended to Kabul and other provinces.
Visual media officials travelled to Kandahar earlier this month to resolve the issue and shared their concerns with Taliban leaders.
However, these meetings ended inconclusively.
The Taliban has announced that these actions are carried out in accordance with Article 17 of the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and in accordance with Islamic Sharia. This article prohibits the photography of living beings.
In response to Pakistan's security concerns from Afghan soil, the US State Department spokesperson, Mathew Miller said that Washington is cooperating with Islamabad in strengthening its capabilities to counter the threats of terrorist groups.
Miller said that the United States has an important bilateral partnership in the field of counterterrorism with the government of Pakistan.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, November 19, the US State Department spokesperson condemned the recent militant attacks near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that killed seven Pakistani soldiers.
"The people of Pakistan have suffered immensely at the hands of terrorists and violent extremists, and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been killed or injured in recent attacks, including the November 9 suicide attack in Quetta," Miller said.
Miller also said that the US is committed to working with Pakistani government leaders and civil society organisations to identify opportunities to strengthen capabilities to identify, prevent and respond to threats posed by "extremist terrorist groups”.
Asked why the United States is not taking any action against terrorist groups based in Afghanistan, the State Department spokesperson said, "We have an important bilateral partnership with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, which includes regular dialogues and working consultations to strengthen capabilities in identifying and countering threats."
Earlier, the US State Department accused the Taliban of violating the provisions of the Doha Agreement, saying that the group has provided shelter to some terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda leaders.
Matthew Miller said that Washington holds the Taliban accountable for the increase in the activity of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has repeatedly denied harbouring terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and threats emanating from Afghan soil against other countries, especially Pakistan.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul said that former President Hamid Karzai in a meeting with Iran's special representative for Afghanistan called for a regional initiative to solve the problems of the Afghan people.
According to the embassy, Karzai called for more attention from the countries of the region, especially Iran, to the issue of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul on Wednesday, November 20, announced the meeting between Hamid Karzai and Kazemi Qomi.
Karzai has not commented on the meeting and the regional initiative to resolve the Afghan issue.
According to information provided by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic, Kazemi Qomi had a separate meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's deputy prime minister, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the group's foreign minister.
Without providing details, the embassy wrote that during the meeting of Hassan Kazemi Qomi with these Taliban officials, the current developments in Afghanistan were discussed.
Regarding the meeting, the Taliban said that Iran wants to expand political cooperation with the group. These meetings took place after a delegation of the Islamic Republic visited Kabul and held talks with Taliban officials.
During the visit of a delegation from the Islamic Republic to Kabul in recent days, it was agreed that 1,000 Afghan prisoners in Iran will be handed over to the Taliban.
Karzai is a supporter of intra-Afghan dialogue and has consistently spoken of a "national dialogue" to resolve the Afghan issue over the past three years. The former president of Afghanistan has been critical of the closure of girls' schools and has repeatedly called on the Taliban to reopen girls' schools.
Iran has close ties with the Taliban and has consistently called for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban has rejected the idea of the formation of an inclusive government, which is also the demand of the international community.
Several UN agencies are trying to make Afghanistan's blocked climate funds available, which have been frozen since the Taliban seized power in the country.
If this effort is successful, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will allocate $19 million for climate programmes.
Afghanistan is one of the most vulnerable countries affected by climate change. The country, which is experiencing deadly droughts and floods, has not been able to receive climate funding from international institutions since the Taliban's recapture in 2021.
The two UN agencies plan to submit proposals for nearly $19 million to the UN's Global Environment Programme next year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is seeking a $10 million budget to improve natural resource management in four Afghan provinces.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) plans to provide $8.9 million to rehabilitate rural communities as livestock in villages have been severely affected by drought.
According to Reuters, the UN development programme also plans to provide an additional $20 million in funding.
In its proposal, the agency emphasises that the climate budget should be presented to the people without directly transferring it to the Taliban.
"We are in talks with major climate financial institutions, including the United Nations Environment Programme, to bring funds back into Afghanistan, without them being available to the Taliban," said Stephen Rodriguez, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme.
Dick Trenchard, FAO Country Director in Afghanistan, said, "There is no doubt about the effects of climate change in Afghanistan. You can see the effects everywhere."
Since the Taliban's takeover in 2021, no new funds have been allocated to Afghanistan. If the UN's efforts in this regard bear fruit, it will be the first time in three years that a new international climate budget has been allocated to Afghanistan.
The two organisations must receive initial approval from the secretariat of the United Nations World Environment Programme (GEF) in order to be able to submit their proposals for donations.
Flash floods in Afghanistan have claimed hundreds of lives this year, and the country is facing a food security crisis after a severe drought.
The Taliban has not yet been recognised by any country, however, the group's officials also attended the annual United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP29) in Baku for the first time this year.
Uzbekistan's new ambassador to Afghanistan, Oybek Usmanov, presented his credentials to Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's foreign minister.
The Taliban's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that Uzbekistan's diplomat has pledged to work to expand relations between Kabul and Tashkent.
Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, wrote in a statement on Wednesday, November 20, that Muttaqi had assured Usmanov that the group would cooperate with him on various issues.
According to the statement, Amir Khan Muttaqi considered the diplomatic cooperation between the Taliban and Uzbekistan as a sign of the progress of relations between the two countries.
The Taliban's foreign minister also stressed that practical steps should be taken to advance major economic projects between the group and Uzbekistan.
According to the statement, Uzbekistan's new ambassador to Afghanistan also promised that he would work to develop relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during his mission in Afghanistan.
Oybek Usmanov, 62, previously served as Uzbekistan's ambassador to Egypt and Pakistan. He arrived in Kabul on October 28 this year to begin his work as his country's new ambassador to Afghanistan.
The former ambassador of Uzbekistan to Afghanistan was Yadgar Shadmanov. In September this year, he announced the end of his mission in Afghanistan after 12 years.
Although Uzbekistan does not recognise the Taliban government like other countries, it has established close relations with the group. Taliban and Uzbekistan officials have met several times over the past three years.
On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Afghanistan's membership in the United Nations, Afghanistan's mission to the United Nations called on the world to fulfil its commitments to Afghanistan.
The anniversary came "at one of the darkest times in Afghanistan's history", the office said.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's acting representative to the United Nations, said in a message on Tuesday that the lack of a legitimate government has isolated the country and that Afghanistan is in one of the deepest social, political and humanitarian crises.
Afghanistan became a member of the United Nations on November 19, 1946. Afghanistan's membership document in the United Nations was signed by Abdul Hussain Azizi, Afghanistan's representative at the time.
After nearly eight decades, the United Nations and none of its members have recognised the ruling regime in Afghanistan, and its seat has been lost. Due to non-payment of membership dues, no representative from Afghanistan is present in many UN committees and the country has lost its right to vote.
Afghanistan, with a long history of presence at the United Nations, is today in one of its darkest and most isolated periods, observers say.
Mirwais Balkhi, a researcher at the Wilson Centre in Washington, DC, referring to Afghanistan's situation at the United Nations, told Afghanistan International that regional governments, such as Pakistan and Iran, speak on behalf of this country in the organisation.
He stressed that the United Nations should play a more active role in resolving the long-term crisis in Afghanistan.
"Afghan people expect the United Nations to end the half-century conflict in Afghanistan through effective mediation and finding a political solution," Balkhi said.
Afghanistan joined the United Nations at a time when many countries in the region had not yet been formed, Balkhi said.
Referring to the Taliban's efforts to take over Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations, Balkhi stressed that the United Nations cannot decide on Afghanistan's seat alone, and this issue requires consensus among the member states of the Security Council. According to him, deep disagreements among the members of the Security Council have prevented the achievement of a common position.
Balkhi called Afghanistan's situation at the United Nations "unstable" and said, "It is not clear whether Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations will remain, be closed or be handed over to the Taliban."
Balkhi said that the United Nations refuses to formally cooperate with the Taliban despite humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. This situation has led to a kind of dichotomy: the United Nations is in contact with the Afghan people, but it does not recognise the ruling regime.
On the occasion of Afghanistan's membership in the United Nations, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday called the country a proud member of the international community.
In recent years, UNAMA has focused on building peace and sustainable development for the Afghan people.