Latest News
Money exchangers protest against Biden’s move to use funds for 9/11 victims
Hundreds of money exchangers and members of the private sector on Tuesday protested in Kabul against US President Joe Biden’s decision to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets to pay victims of the 9/11 attack and use for humanitarian aid.
The protestors called on the US to release all Afghan assets and return the full amount of about $7 billion to Afghanistan.
They also urged the international community to take steps to help secure the funds for Afghanistan.
“We want the United Nations to hand over all Afghanistan’s money to Afghans. We have a lot of problems,” said Rohullah, one protestor.
“The US president’s decision contravenes all international laws. We Afghans never handed over our assets to Americans,” said Abdul Matin, another protestor.
Members of the private sector and money exchangers union said that Afghans were not involved in the 9/11 attacks and that the US can’t hand over Afghanistan’s money to pay 9/11 attack victims.
“We urge the international community to hand over Afghanistan’s money. The US president’s decision is against all laws,” said Qazi Mir Afghan Safi, head of the money exchangers’ union.
“The $3.5 billion that Biden allocated for compensation [for 9/11 victims] is rightfully the money of Afghans and should be returned,” said Abdurahman Zerak, a member of the money exchange market, Sarai Shahzada.
Economic analysts meanwhile have also called on the United Nations (UN) to prevent the implementation of Biden’s decision.
“The US president’s decision is very cruel and controlling. It contradicts all international political and economic principles, it is not forgivable,” said Taj Mohammad Talish, an economic analyst.
Afghan officials meanwhile say that Biden’s decision will have an adverse effect on the country’s already struggling economy and that poverty levels will increase considerably.
Latest News
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.
Latest News
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.
Latest News
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.
-
Latest News5 days ago
Pakistan’s frontiers minister stresses ‘dignified’ return of Afghan refugees
-
Regional3 days ago
Iranian president lands in Pakistan for three-day visit to mend ties
-
Latest News3 days ago
Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
-
Climate Change4 days ago
Massive river flooding expected in China, threatening millions
-
Latest News5 days ago
Chinese keen to invest in Panjshir-Kabul water conduit project
-
World5 days ago
Two Japan navy helicopters crash, one body found, 7 missing
-
Sport4 days ago
ACL: Aino Mina 3-0 Istiqlal Kabul; Attack Energy 3-0 Khadim
-
Sport4 days ago
Kolkata beat Bengaluru by one run in IPL as Kohli fumes at dismissal