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US congressional committee subpoenas Blinken over Afghanistan
In a letter about the subpoena, Chairman Michael McCaul said Blinken must appear before the committee on Sept. 19 or face contempt charges
The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, saying he had refused to appear before the panel to testify on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
In a letter about the subpoena, Chairman Michael McCaul said Blinken must appear before the committee on Sept. 19 or face contempt charges, the committee said.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken was not currently available to testify on the dates proposed by the committee but has proposed "reasonable alternatives" to comply with McCaul's request for a public hearing.
"It is disappointing that instead of continuing to engage with the Department in good faith, the Committee instead has issued yet another unnecessary subpoena," Miller said in a statement.
He said Blinken had testified before Congress on Afghanistan more than 14 times, including four times before McCaul's committee. He also said State has provided the committee with nearly 20,000 pages of department records, multiple high-level briefings and transcribed interviews.
McCaul asked Blinken in May to appear at a hearing in September on the committee's report on its investigation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In his letter to Blinken, the Republican committee chairman said current and former State Department officials confirmed that Blinken was "the final decision maker" on the withdrawal and evacuation.
"You are therefore in a position to inform the Committee’s consideration of potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal, including potential reforms to the Department’s legislative authorization,” McCaul wrote.
The subpoena from McCaul's committee, which has been investigating the deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan for years, comes as events surrounding the pullback become an increasingly politicized issue ahead of the Nov. 5 elections.
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EU Parliament condemns governments that uphold IEA by normalizing relations
The European Union Parliament on Thursday in an adopted resolution on the human rights situation in Afghanistan condemned the countries that uphold the Islamic Emirate by normalizing relations.
EU Parliament also criticized the new law of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced recently by the Islamic Emirate.
EU has also demanded new sanctions against the IEA.
The resolution stated: “MEPs want the EU to support the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and call for Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to be held accountable, through the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation and the establishment of a UN Independent Investigative Mechanism.”
The resolution, however, urges the EU and donor states to increase humanitarian aid and funding to support basic needs, livelihoods and Afghan civil society.
The resolution was adopted by 565 votes in favor, 8 against and 43 abstentions.
In the meantime, IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that the imposition of sanctions and pressure by some countries on the caretaker government has failed as in the past and the Afghan government wants positive interaction with all countries of the world.
“The European Union is experiencing the failed ways that they have already taken this path and have not gotten results,” said Mujahid.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers positive interaction as the only solution to all problems,” he added.
Earlier, the UN Security Council also expressed serious concern about the implementation of IEA's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law in a meeting regarding the situation in Afghanistan.
IEA, however, regarding the criticisms of the implementation of vice and virtue said that this law was compiled based on Islamic Sharia and considered opposing it as a contradiction with Islamic Sharia.
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IEA tells religious scholars to avoid talks on controversial topics
The statement said that “those scholars who incite disputes, promote superstitions, and use inappropriate words in the media” should not be invited to events.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Friday called on scholars to avoid discussing controversial topics that cause agitation among the ordinary people.
A statement issued by the office of the Prime Minister states that scholars should avoid discussing “rare” issues that could cause misguidance among some and that ordinary people cannot understand.
The statement added that "some of the strange issues whose occurrence is not common should not be expressed in mosques and public gatherings, because the enemies of Islam make fun of such issues."
IEA also called on preachers and teachers to avoid publishing "specialized, complex and detailed academic and sufi topics in the media" because they are "special" and for "special audiences".
The statement said that "those scholars who incite disputes, promote superstitions, and use inappropriate words in the media" should not be invited to events.
“Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to create discord, division, strife, and misguidance and it will take serious actions to prevent them,” the statement said.
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Pakistani minister calls for increased foreign aid for Afghan refugees
He emphasized the need for optimal utilization of resources to effectively achieve the objectives of the Commissionorate of Afghan Refugees.
Pakistan's Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Kashmir Affairs, and Gilgit Baltistan, Amir Muqam, has called on the international community to increase funding and support for Afghan refugees.
Speaking at a meeting held at the office of the Commissioner of Afghan Refugees in Karachi, Muqam said that Afghan refugees' needs are growing and require substantial resources.
He emphasized the need for optimal utilization of resources to effectively achieve the objectives of the Commissionorate of Afghan Refugees.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration to ensure the safety and dignity of refugees within our borders,” Muqam stated.
Pakistan hosts 1.45 million registered Afghan refugees.
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