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Jamiat-e-Islami calls for interim government
The Jamiat-e-Islami party on Saturday called for an interim government to be established in order for a peace agreement to be reached with the Taliban.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Soviet Union invasion in Afghanistan, the party’s deputy leader Ahmadzia Massoud stated that after the formation of the interim government a Loya Jirga should be called in order to make a decision over the structure of the government.
“Let talk about the mechanism of peace talks, from where to start and where to end up; first we want a ceasefire, second an interim government should be formed,” Massoud said.
The Afghan government, however, rejected the proposal but the Jamiat party believes that the government cannot control the current situation.
“Let the security forces and the Defense Ministry transfer the power to the Defense Ministry and security forces to enforce an emergency situation in the country; a counter-terrorism [operation] should start and in the meantime we pursue a peace program to reach a result,” Massoud noted.
The intra-Afghan talks are expected to resume on January 5 and will focus on a joint agenda for the talks.
On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978.
The Soviets carried out a massive military airlift into Kabul in the early hours of December 24, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 soldiers each.
Within a few days, the Soviets had secured Kabul, deploying a special assault unit against the palace. Elements of the Afghan army loyal to Hafizullah Amin put up a fierce, but brief resistance.
On December 27, Babrak Karmal, exiled leader of the Parcham faction of the Marxist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), was installed as Afghanistan’s new head of government. And Soviet ground forces entered Afghanistan from the north.
The Soviets, however, were met with fierce resistance when they ventured out of their strongholds into the countryside.
Resistance fighters, called mujahidin, saw the Soviets controlling Afghanistan as a defilement of Islam as well as of their traditional culture and proclaimed a Jihad against them.
The fighters used whatever weapons they could grab from the Soviets or were given by the United States but things changed in 1987 with the introduction of US shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. The Stingers allowed the mujahidin to shoot down Soviet planes and helicopters on a regular basis.
By then Mikhail Gorbachev was in power and decided it was time to leave and demoralized and with no victory in sight, Soviet forces started withdrawing in 1988. The last soldier left in February 1989.
Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, has said that residents of Bamyan province are facing serious challenges due to drought and the impacts of climate change.
During his visit to Bamyan, Lemarquis praised the resilience and ability of the province’s people to cope with life’s difficulties, but said they continue to face numerous challenges.
He identified water resource management, access to education for girls and boys, access to healthcare services, and the return of migrants from Pakistan and Iran as among the main challenges facing Bamyan.
Lemarquis also said the province’s infrastructure does not meet the needs of its people and that its level of infrastructure development remains low.
He called on the international community not to forget Afghanistan so that assistance and fundamental development projects can be carried out in Bamyan and other provinces of the country.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called for greater efforts to tackle child malnutrition, saying access to education for both girls and boys is essential to preventing the growing crisis.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Karzai cited a recent UNICEF report warning that about 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are at increasing risk of malnutrition. He urged the relevant authorities and international organizations to take serious and comprehensive measures to curb the crisis and protect children’s health.
Karzai said safeguarding children’s health, as the country’s future human capital, requires coordinated action by responsible institutions and international partners.
He also said providing education for all children and young people, regardless of gender, is a fundamental condition for preventing malnutrition. Expanding access to education and developing a skilled workforce, he added, would help reduce the effects of illiteracy, improve
Afghanistan’s economy, and enable the country to meet its needs without relying on foreign assistance.
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday to convey condolences from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) following the death of former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
Muttaqi also held talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, and Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, the ministry said in a statement.
During the meetings, Muttaqi extended condolences to the Qatari officials over the death of the former emir.
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