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West has inflicted catastrophic damage on Afghanistan: UK’s Miliband

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The West has inflicted catastrophic damage on Afghanistan and its own reputation by imposing a policy of starvation on the country, said the UK’s former foreign secretary David Miliband, who is now chief executive of the International Rescue Committee.

“If we wanted to create a failed state we could not have a more effective policy mix than the one we have at the moment,” he told the Guardian.

Miliband has been instrumental in lobbying the Biden administration and the World Bank to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, not only for humanitarian aid but also to start reconstructing the economy, the Guardian reported.

“I simply do not understand the lack of urgency to get this thing moving. It genuinely befuddles me that we should have allowed this to get so much worse so quickly,” he said.

He told the Guardian the crisis was so deep that the UN’s appeal for $4bn this year, due to be addressed at a pledging conference next month, was likely to rise to $10bn next year.

The Guardian reported however that reports have emerged that the World Bank board may meet in March to release as much as $1.3 billion that it has so far refused to release.

“What we are doing is not making it worse for the Taliban (IEA), it is making it worse for the people. We are not punishing the Taliban (IEA). It is ordinary Afghans that are paying the price of peace. It is not just a catastrophe of choice, but a catastrophe of reputation. This is a starvation policy,” Miliband said.

He said four problems needed to be addressed urgently if the country was to survive the remainder of the winter.

“There is no money to pay salaries. Some teachers and hospital workers have not been paid since April. That has to change.

“The US sanctions continue to have a chilling effect on commercial activity even though there are carve-outs in US and international sanctions for humanitarian purposes. The carve-out does not touch commercial entities so if you are a private agricultural or food importer who has to touch the government at the border in some way you are scared you are going to get caught up in the sanctions.

“Then there is the liquidity crisis, so there is no capital underpinning the banking system so no one can lend or pay for imports. Finally there are no technocrats or expertise in the Central Bank – they have all left. All this can be done without having to get into the issue of recognition of the Taliban (IEA).

“Together this is causing an economic freeze and in these tragic circumstances you can give more aid until you are blue in the face, and it will not solve the structural problems. I am in the ridiculous position of running an aid agency and I am saying ‘don’t just give out humanitarian aid, you have to underpin the economy’,” he told the Guardian.

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Afghan student found dead in India

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The body of an Afghan student was discovered late Saturday night in his apartment in Gujarat state, India.

The student, Bainullah Ziya, 34, was studying for a PhD at the Department of Architecture at MS University and was living in a residential apartment in the Fatehgunj area, Vadodara city, Times of India reported.

Indian police said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Officials suspect suicide, but the reasons behind the alleged act are still unknown.

Sayajigunj police said they are also examining Ziya’s mobile phone to gather clues about the incident.

Friends of Ziya said they had knocked on his apartment door on Saturday but received no response. When the police opened the door, they found his body lying inside the room.

Ziya had been living in Vadodara for the past two years while pursuing his studies in architecture.

Local authorities said the investigation into the exact cause of death is ongoing, and final results will be shared after completion of the legal process.

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IEA’s Supreme Leader issues decree on jurisdiction of specialized court for usurped lands

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The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has issued a decree clarifying the exclusive jurisdiction of the specialized court for usurped lands.

The decree emphasizes that no other government ministries or departments are authorized to handle cases related to usurped lands.

According to Article One of the decree, all matters involving usurped lands, public grazing lands, and waqf lands (charitable endowment land) fall solely under the specialized court’s authority. Other government departments are explicitly barred from intervening in such cases.

Article Two outlines the procedure for citizens who have complaints regarding the Commission for the Prevention of Land Usurpation and Recovery, or the technical committees responsible for identifying and verifying usurped lands. Individuals may submit their complaints in writing directly to the specialized court for resolution.

The decree also prohibits ministries and other government departments from receiving complaints or requesting information from the Commission or provincial technical committees. Any attempts by these departments to intervene after the decree’s issuance will be considered unauthorized.

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KP chief minister questions Pakistan’s claims of militants operating from Afghanistan

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has questioned the Pakistani government’s claim that militants are using Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan, calling for evidence to support the allegation.

Afridi said that if militants were indeed operating from Afghanistan, it was unclear why other neighboring countries of Afghanistan were not raising similar complaints. He argued that such claims should be backed by clear and verifiable proof.

The chief minister also pointed to the extensive resources spent on fencing the Durand Line, noting that authorities had repeatedly assured the public that the barrier would prevent militants from crossing into Pakistan.

His remarks come amid renewed tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan frequently accusing militant groups of launching attacks from across the border—allegations that Afghanistan’s authorities have repeatedly denied.

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