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Acting Interior Minister Haqqani shows face for first time
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and a longtime leader of the so-called Haqqani network with a US bounty on his head, has appeared in front of the media for the first time.
Haqqani, nicknamed Khalifa, made the rare public appearance during a ceremony that saw the graduation of hundreds of police officers in Kabul on Saturday.
“Since we had not appeared in front of the media, we have now openly appeared in front of the media in order to build trust. Allah Almighty bestowed on us this honor and happiness,” Haqqani said.
In his speech, Haqqani gave serious orders to the security forces over the ongoing house search operation, telling them not to harass people and reach out to the local religious scholars if they encounter any problems during the operation.
"Please be patient and do not harass people during house to house searches and seek help from local clerics in case of any problems,” Haqqani said.
He also said that the IEA was committed to the Doha agreement signed with the United States in 2020 that paved the way to a pullout of US-led international troops that culminated in late August.
Haqqani told the graduating police cadets that the world faces no threat from Afghanistan; and countries that used to spend large sums of money on war in the past can now spend it on the development of Afghanistan.
"We also assure the world that no country will be threatened from Afghanistan’s soil. We protect the lives and property of the people, and it is our responsibility,” Haqqani added.
Haqqani had never allowed himself to be filmed, and an FBI notice of a $10 million bounty on his head for alleged activities featured only a blurry image of a bearded man mostly shrouded by a blanket.
The ceremony was also addressed by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi who said IEA was planning to have 350,000 security personnel to ensure security and defend Islamic values and Afghanistan's territorial integrity.
"The leaders of the Islamic Emirate are committed to building a national and professional police, national and professional army and national and professional security force; we wholeheartedly support all our national facilities,” said Hanafi.
A total of 470 cadets including women graduated from Kabul Police Academy on Saturday.
The force has been trained at the center for four years in the criminal, logistical and border fields, and will be deployed in government departments according to their profession.
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Armed attack on civilians in Daikundi-Ghor area sparks international reactions
Daesh-affiliated members' armed attack on civilians in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces has provoked international reactions. In this attack, 14 civilians were killed.
The United Nations has condemned the attack on Hazara community and described it as "heinous".
UNAMA has urged the Islamic Emirate to identify the perpetrators of this attack.
Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, has also strongly condemned the attack and expressed her condolences to victims and their families.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan also condemned the attack in a post on X and called it “heinous terrorist attack”.
IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Friday that 14 civilians were killed in an attack in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
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US aid to Afghanistan should be conditioned on treatment of women and children: McCaul
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
Michael McCaul, Republican chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that any aid or assistance Washington gives to Afghanistan has to be conditioned on treatment of women and children.
In an interview with the Voice of America, McCaul said that girls in Afghanistan should be allowed to go to school and enjoy their fundemental rights.
Referring to the restrictions against women, he said that Afghanistan has now returned to the "Stone Age".
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
“They (Afghan government) felt like they were sidelined,” he said.
McCaul also stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan without an action plan was a “fatal flaw” because many Americans and their Afghan allies were left behind.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that the rights of women and girls are an internal issue of Afghanistan and Sharia laws must be respected.
IEA has also said that foreign aid to Afghanistan is managed by international organizations and the Islamic Emirate does not use it.
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Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan says terrorism cannot be eliminated without dialogue with Afghanistan
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, said on Friday that terrorism cannot be eliminated without having dialogue with the authorities in Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Khan expressed his support for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour's proposal for a direct dialogue with Kabul.
“Ali Amin is absolutely right,” Imran Khan stated. “They should be beseeching him to go and talk to Afghanistan for the sake of God."
A day earlier, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif criticized Gandapur's plan to talk to Kabul, saying it was a direct attack on the federal government.
When questioned about the possibility of a province directly engaging with another country when a federal government and the Foreign Office were already in place, Imran Khan replied: "Forget the Foreign Office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the most affected by terrorism.”
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Khan urged the government to lend a hand to anyone attempting to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
"If someone is trying to end terrorism, cooperate with them," he stated, dismissing the perception that Gandapur’s intentions were anti-state. "Ali Amin is speaking in the favour of the country, not against it."
Clarifying Gandapur’s stance, he pointed out, "Ali Amin spoke about going but didn’t say he was leaving immediately, — he didn’t even fix a time." Khan concluded his talk by saying, "What wrong has Ali Amin said?"
Gandapur announced on Wednesday that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve bilateral issues.
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