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IEA accuses international watchdogs of ‘reporting on rumors’
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that reports by human rights monitoring organizations and missions are “contrary to internationally accepted fact-finding methodologies”.
According to a statement issued by the IEA, “some people report based on rumors and virtual sources (social networks and e-mail addresses) and use it against the ruling system, contrary to legal and scientific methods of truth-finding”.
The IEA stated it has provided all the necessary facilities for impartial investigation and obtaining facts by the offices and persons assigned under the framework of the United Nations to investigate the human rights situation in Afghanistan, and all offices of the Islamic Emirate, including the security department, cooperate with them.
“Therefore, morally, the aforementioned departments should not misuse this positive spirit,” read the statement.
The statement also noted that this “not only destroys people’s trust in their reports, but also questions the impartiality and credibility of their respective institutions”.
In addition, the IEA stated that countries and international organizations “should not allow such people to abuse the name of countries and international organizations to deal with personal problems and political agendas and destroy the spirit of cooperation of officials in line with humanitarian activities”.
The IEA claims there has been “been significant positive changes in the human rights situation compared to the past twenty years,” and that any claim to the contrary will be investigated transparently and justice will prevail.
This comes just days after Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, issued a statement following a 12-day visit to the country and stated that Afghanistan continues to experience a serious crisis and urgent action is needed from all parties to avert a further deterioration of the situation.
According to Bennett, stakeholders he met with expressed grave concerns about the situation of women and girls, increased attacks on places of worship, schools, transportation systems and minority communities, especially Hazara-Shia.
He said the humanitarian situation remains dire and the security situation is fragile.
“I offered the authorities my advice to fulfill their human rights obligations under the international human rights treaties ratified by Afghanistan. The authorities affirmed their commitment to adhere to their international human rights obligations if they were not in conflict with Sharia,” Bennett said.
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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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Afghanistan now a ‘nexus for diplomatic endeavors’, says IEA
In the wake of dozens of meetings between high-ranking Islamic Emirate officials and visiting officials from foreign countries, and other diplomatic advances, the IEA said on Thursday that in the current geopolitical landscape, Kabul now “serves as a nexus for diplomatic endeavors and political deliberations pertaining to global affairs”.
In a series of posts on X, the IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said diplomatic missions and political delegations from various nations, including Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the European Union, and others, “are evident in the capital, highlighting its strategic importance in fostering Islamic cooperation”.
He said: “Recently, the honorable Minister of Transport of the Islamic Emirate, Mr. Hamidullah Akhundzada, led a significant delegation to Termez, Uzbekistan, for essential discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations.
“These discussions encompass a wide range of topics, from trade facilitation to security assurances, indicating a focused effort by the Islamic Emirate to strengthen and broaden its international engagements, thereby ensuring sustained development and stability.
“These initiatives, characterized by diligence and effectiveness, underscore Afghanistan’s enduring commitment to diplomatic engagement and its pivotal role in regional and global affairs,” he said.
Mujahid added that these initiatives “also emphasize the vital connection between diplomatic efforts and economic prosperity, promising favorable outcomes for Afghanistan’s socio-economic landscape.”
He pointed out that despite ongoing challenges, Afghanistan “remains steadfast in its pursuit of prosperity and resilience, defying pessimistic projections and charting a course towards political and economic renewal.”
He said: “Continued efforts are essential to fostering inclusive growth and impactful initiatives, thus advancing Afghanistan’s journey towards sustainable development and increased influence on the global stage.”
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