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Findings of probe into Code 91 expenditure are untrue: Govt
Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in response to accusations of government’s misappropriation of funds regarding Code 91 that the claims made by Etilaatroz newspaper are untrue and that some individuals have been specifically singled out.
This comes after Etilaatroz stated that over AFN2 billion ($25.9 million) of government’s emergency fund known as Code 91 had been used for personal expenses for more than a dozen government officials in the year 1398 (April 2019 to March 2020).
Sediqqi said on Twitter on Monday night that a distinction needs to be made between the allocation of funds and the principle of budget expenditure.
He said President Ashraf Ghani has always been careful when it comes to paying out money from Code 91 and that the amount stated in the report as having been spent is not true.
The report states that over AFN129 million ($1.6 million) was spent on renting houses for officials, on vehicle rentals, daily expenses, bonuses, purchasing of apartments, and travel for 15 government officials and their staff.
According to the report, presidential adviser Waheed Omer received over AFN30 million ($392,000); presidential envoy Umer Daudzai received AFN13.5 million ($175,000); presidential adviser Fazl Mahmoud Fazli received AFN12.9 million ($167,000) and presidential adviser Mohammad Afzal Ludin received AFN11.5 million ($150,000).
The report also states that former president Hamid Karzai received AFN11.7 million ($151,000) from Code 91.
Etilaatroz stated: “According to our findings dozens of government and non-government officials – as many as 70 individuals – receive money from the code.”
Only Ghani can pay out money from Code 91 but Etilaatroz’s states that during the National Unity Government’s tenure, Ghani and then Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah paid out at least AFN44 million to purchase apartments, houses, and armored vehicles for some individuals.
Presidential Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi, former president Hamid Karzai, and Presidential Adviser Shahhussian Murtazawi are also listed in the report as recipients who allegedly received money for personal expenses.
Ghani’s office rejected the report and said it is incomplete and has targeted specific individuals instead of investigating the fund itself.
Sediqqi stated: “The expenses are allocated to the offices, not for government individuals who are targeted in this report.”
He added that no money is being spent “beyond principles.”
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Girls’ education is a ‘vital issue’ for Afghanistan: Karzai
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, that education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai said he appreciated Iran’s cooperation and its standing with the Afghan people, especially Iran’s contributions to education in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Karzai said peace and stability in the region are in the interest of all regional countries.
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Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh
A shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan was handed over on Thursday to the local officials of Balkh province in the trade port of Hairatan.
Local authorities said the aid, which includes flour, oil, wheat, sugar and meat, has been handed over by Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya governor to the governor of Balkh.
The governor of Surkhandarya stated the purpose of sending this aid was to support the people of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the development of good relations between the two countries.
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Afghanistan’s problems caused more damage to Pakistan than 3 wars with India: Durrani
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
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