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Govt refusing to fall victim to Taliban’s extortion tactics
The Presidential Palace (ARG) stated Monday that neither the Afghan government nor independent sources that fund development projects or provide aid will fall victim to Taliban extortion tactics.
According to ARG, the decision not to pay bribes to Taliban in insecure areas across the country was discussed at a national procurement session on Sunday.
ARG said some villages are being deprived of aid because of the Taliban’s habit of demanding bribes.
ARG also stated that it is not prepared to give Taliban money that is meant to alleviate the plight of the people.
According to ARG out of 11,000 villages across the country that were identified to benefit from government-assisted projects, only 10,000 villages benefitted.
ARG’s statement came on the heels of a Facebook post by First Vice President Amrullah Saleh early Monday who raised the issue after his daily 6.30am security meeting.
He stated that sources of funding for these villages will not be held to ransom by the Taliban in order to gain access to insecure areas.
“This anti-human performance by the Taliban has left a number of villages in the country deprived of aid,” said Saleh.
He said 1,000 villages have not received the necessary aid as government has “faced a security problem and we are not ready to share the bread of the people with blackmail terrorists.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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