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Unity Leaders jointly approved Kabul Statement backing Saudi Arabia in Yemen – ARG
Afghan leaders have jointly drafted Afghanistan’s statement backing Saudi Arabia in Yemen war, Presidential spokesman declared.
Presidential Spokesman Ajmal Obaid Abedy who was speaking with Ariana News regarding the recent statements made by Mohammad Mohaqeq, the second deputy of Afghanistan’s CEO said that none of the National Security Council members opposed Afghanistan decision backing Saudi Arabia involvement in Yemen war.
After the Saudi Arabia led coalition launched strikes in Yemen against Houthi rebels, Saudi Arabia is trying to defeat the so called Iran-backed armed militia in its southern neighboring country.
Afghanistan has also announced its support to Saudi Arabia in a statement released from the Presidential Palace, but Mohaqeq is stressing Kabul neutrality in Yemen war saying that no decision has been made in the National Security Council to support Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
“What was released on the statement was not agreed at the National Security Council, we orally recommended asking the UN Security Council to mediate in this issue,” Mohaqeq said.
On the other hand the Presidential Spokesman Abedy emphasize that everyone was agreed at the NSC on the statement being announced.
“Definitely, the National Security Council decision was sent to the President and the Chief Executive Officer for approval and it was released after the approval, and all members of the NSC unanimously took the decision,” Abedy stated.
Despite these contradictory statements the House Speaker Abdul Rauf Ebrahimi on Saturday session of Wolesi Jirga – the House of Representatives asked the government to specify clearly their foreign policy guidelines and send it for approval to the House to avoid ambiguity in the future.
Ebrahimi said,” We ask the President to send Afghanistan’s foreign policy basic lines to the Parliament for approval in order to avoid viral statements”.
Ex-Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta criticized Kabul’s decision to support Saudi Arabia in the Yemen conflict believing that Afghanistan must stay neutral.
Spanta believes Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting a proxy war in Yemen and that decision to back Saudi Arabia whose Sheikhs are supporting extremist groups in Afghanistan through Pakistan ISI intelligence agency is against Afghanistan national interest and will take Afghanistan to the regional conflicts.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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