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MoI arrest local journalists on propaganda charges

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Last Updated on: August 1, 2021

The Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Tuesday that security forces have arrested four journalists in southern Kandahar province.

The reporters of Kandahar’s local radio station, Nation Vice [Millat Ghag], were arrested after they visited the Taliban-captured Spin Boldak on Monday for covering news from the area.

Mirwais Stanekzai, a spokesman for the MoI, says that the journalists were propagandizing in favor of the Taliban.

Stanekzai, however, stated that the Afghan government is committed to freedom of expression.

He noted that the Afghan constitution has also set limitations and that anyone who propagandizing “in favor of the enemy and terrorists and against the national interest of Afghanistan” is breaching the law.

According to Stanekzai, the case of the journalists is well documented and the security agencies will conduct further investigations under the law.

Meanwhile, the government claimed that the Taliban militants have started massacres and targeted killings after the takeover of the Spin Boldak district.

Reports indicated that the Taliban have allegedly killed relatives of former Kandahar Police Chief General Abdul Raziq, who was assassinated in 2018.

The Taliban, however, rejected the report and had invited the media outlets in Spin Boldak to document the facts regarding the massacre allegation.

Although the government had barred the journalists from visiting the Spin Boldak, three reporters from Nation Voice [Millat Ghag] radio, Bismillah Watandost, Qudratullah Sultani, and Mohibullah Obaidi, and a cameraman of Xinhua had visited the Taliban controlled area.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has expressed its concerns over the detention of the reporters in Kandahar.

“We are concerned about the detention of four journalists in Kandahar by National Security Directorate since yesterday. These journalists were returning from Spin Boldak district after investigating civilian casualties. We call for their release,” Amnesty International said in a tweet.

In the meantime, the Afghanistan journalist safety committee (AJSC) has also called on the government to provide thorough information about the arrest, emphasizing that any media violation needs to be handled in accordance with the Afghan laws.

“No extra judiciary detention is acceptable,” AJSC said.

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Karzai: Pakistan seeking to legitimize Durand Line, authorities must clarify

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Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.

In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.

He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.

The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.

 
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SAARC failure pushes Pakistan toward trilateral ties with Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh: Dar

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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that the failure of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is pushing Pakistan toward exploring trilateral cooperation frameworks involving Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.

Speaking at the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Conference in Lahore on Friday, Dar said SAARC has “unfortunately not been able to kick off,” limiting regional economic integration and cooperation.

He said Pakistan is now looking at alternative regional arrangements to strengthen economic connectivity and trade, including trilateral formats such as China–Pakistan–Afghanistan and China–Pakistan–Bangladesh.

Dar stressed that South Asia cannot remain in “isolation,” noting that the region, home to nearly two billion people, is missing significant economic opportunities due to weak cooperation among neighbouring countries.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic and regional integration among South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The organisation was designed to encourage cooperation in areas such as trade, development, education, and cultural exchange. However, in recent years, SAARC’s effectiveness has been significantly limited due to political tensions between member states, particularly between India and Pakistan, leading to stalled summits and reduced regional engagement.

As a result, regional economic cooperation in South Asia has largely remained underdeveloped compared to other regional blocs around the world.

 

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IEA leaders contact Maulana Fazlur Rehman to express condolences over Sheikh Idris’s death

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According to a statement issued by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUI-F), senior leaders of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) contacted JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to express condolences following the killing of prominent religious scholar Sheikh Muhammad Idris in Charsadda.

The statement said that the callers included Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Interior Minister Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.

According to JUI-F media cell, the Afghan leadership expressed sorrow over Sheikh Idris’s death and prayed for his elevated status. They also strongly condemned his killing and said they share the grief of the bereaved family and religious community.

The statement further added that the Islamic Emirate expressed solidarity with JUI-F, religious scholars, and students, and said that the people of Afghanistan share the grief of the Pakistani people over the incident.

Sheikh Idris, a senior member of JUI-F was shot dead by armed motorcyclists in the Utmanzai area of Charsadda on May 5, while he was traveling to a madressah. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.

 
 
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