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Rights watchdog calls for IEA to ease back on moral policing
This comes after UNAMA released its report titled, De Facto Authorities’ Moral Oversight in Afghanistan: Impacts on Human Rights, earlier this week.

Amnesty International on Wednesday called for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to roll back on moral policing.
Responding to a new report by the United Nations Assistance Mission (UNAMA) in Afghanistan on the violations of human rights by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV), Amnesty International said the moral policing has had a decaying effect on human rights in the country.
Zaman Sultani, regional researcher for South Asia at Amnesty International, said: “This report lays bare the role of the Taliban’s MPVPV in violating various human rights and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan.
“Its arbitrary, inconsistent and ambiguous record of morally policing the people of Afghanistan, with an institutionalized system of discrimination that disproportionately impacts women and girls, has had a decaying effect on human rights in the country.”
Healso stated that “the arbitrary, inconsistent and ambiguous record of morally policing the people of Afghanistan, with an institutionalized system of discrimination that disproportionately impacts women and girls, has had a decaying effect on human rights in the country.”
Sultani went on to say that Amnesty International shares the UN’s call to the Islamic Emirate to guarantee the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, right to health and work, among a host of other fundamental rights and freedoms as guaranteed under the international human rights treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party.
“The prevalent impunity for the Taliban’s gross violations of human rights and crimes under international law must come to an end,” he said.
He also called for the United Nations to establish a dedicated independent international accountability mechanism to investigate crimes under international law and other serious violations in Afghanistan as well as to collect and preserve evidence for future accountability efforts and prosecutions.
“They must also ensure that gender justice is prioritized and the involvement of women human rights defenders and civil society stakeholders remains central in all engagements with the Taliban on the future of Afghanistan. To fail to do so would be to turn our backs on the victims and their rights to truth, justice and reparation.”
This comes after UNAMA released its report titled, De Facto Authorities’ Moral Oversight in Afghanistan: Impacts on Human Rights, earlier this week.
The report outlines the negative impact that the activities and expanding role of the MPVPV has had on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in various aspects of private and public life for people living in Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate meanwhile said Wednesday the claims by UNAMA were unfounded and that all rights were respected in accordance with Sharia.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman said that the rulings recommended by the MPVPV are well-known Islamic rulings.
He said UNAMA was trying to compare Afghanistan’s policies against those of the West, which was not “the right thing to do”.
He added that under the IEA, the rights of all citizens are secured in accordance with Sharia.
“All men and women are dealt with according to Sharia, Sharia rulings are enforceable as laws, and in this case, no one is oppressed or violated,” said Mujahid.
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Ariana Afghan Airlines increases flights to China

Ariana Afghan Airlines officials have announced that the company will operate two flights to the Chinese city of Urumqi every week from now.
“Ariana Afghan Airlines serves the people of Afghanistan in the sector in which it operates. Its responsibility is to control prices, and make as much profit as possible so that the company does not face problems,” Abdul Wali Seddiqi, head of Ariana Afghan Airlines, said at a ceremony to mark the occasion.
Ahmad Jan Bilal, head of state-owned companies, also noted that the increase in flights to China will help bilateral trade and people’s movement.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, deputy foreign minister for financial administrative affairs, emphasized that expanding economic, commercial and social relations between countries will have a positive impact on political relations.
“The more economic and trade relations expand, the stronger the relations between the two countries will be, and with that, political and other related issues will also be resolved,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chinese ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, emphasized that his country is seeking to further enhance the level of relations with Afghanistan in various fields.
Direct flights between Kabul and Urumqi resumed in May 2023 after three years.
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Kazakhstan plans to invest $500 million in construction of Torghundi-Herat railway

Visiting Kabul, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said on Monday that Astana is ready to invest $500 million in the construction of the Torghandi-Herat railway line in adding that a logistics and transport company would be established in Herat province to advance the project.
According to a press release from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the only thing Kazakh delegation also announced readiness to launch an internet cable project that would provide Afghanistan with affordable internet access.
Zhumangarin said that Kazakh investors are ready to invest in various sectors, especially in Afghanistan’s mines, oil and gas, and their technical teams are visiting Kabul in this regard.
During the meeting, the Kazakh side expressed its readiness to issue visas to Afghan businessmen, start flights between the two countries, cooperate on banking, enhance bilateral trade, and cooperate in the health and education sectors.
Meanwhile, Mullah Baradar stressed that Afghanistan has a firm will to strengthen economic and trade relations with Kazakhstan and other countries in the region and for this purpose, it has recently signed a draft roadmap to increase the volume of trade between Kabul and Astana to $3 billion.
According to the Deputy Economic Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, with the implementation of this roadmap, there will be significant positive changes in various economic sectors such as trade, agriculture, mining, transport, transit, railway and industry and investments in these areas will increase.
Mullah Baradar said that the Islamic Emirate is ready to share investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s mines with Kazakhstan and sign agreements in the field of preservation and quarantine of agricultural and livestock products. The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the need to expand banking relations between the two countries and joint cooperation in the development and exploration of Afghanistan’s oil fields.
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China invites IEA to attend SCO summit
The 25th SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of this year.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador to Kabul, extended an invitation to the Islamic Emirate to participate in this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
The invitation was extended during a meeting with Mohammad Naeem, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration of the Afghan Foreign Ministry.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry noted China’s interest in “expanding bilateral cooperation.”
The statement quoted Zhao as saying that China, as Afghanistan’s close neighbor, places “great importance on strengthening its relationship” with Afghanistan and is ready to take further steps toward developing ties between the two countries.
During the meeting, Naeem emphasized the importance of neighborly relations, saying:
“Afghanistan and China are neighboring countries, and maintaining positive relations between neighbors is essential for both sides.”
The Islamic Emirate was not invited to the SCO summit held in Islamabad on October 15–16, 2024.
Reports indicate that Afghanistan’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been inactive since September 2021. Afghanistan became an observer member of the SCO on June 7, 2012, but has not actively participated in the organization’s activities since joining.
The 25th SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of this year.
The summit will offer a platform for discussions on key issues including food security, energy, the environment, and the fight against terrorism.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which represents 25% of global GDP and 40% of the world’s population, plays a key role in fostering economic, trade, and security cooperation among its member states.
In addition to the leaders’ summit, more than 40 related meetings of SCO mechanisms are expected to take place in China throughout the year.
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