ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s foreign minister says the world community should not take action that runs the risk of an economic collapse in Afghanistan.
Shah Mahmood Quereshi on Thursday urged the international community to thaw Afghanistan’s assets to allow Kabul to use its own money to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis.
His appeal came two days after the Taliban announced an interim government for Afghanistan. At a press conference in Islamabad alongside Qatari counterpart Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qureshi did not name any country. But Qureshi said no rope should be tied to humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
Currently, the Taliban government does not have access to the $ 9 billion reserves of the central bank of Afghanistan, most of which belong to the New York Federal Reserve. These reserves were blocked amid last month’s political turmoil in Afghanistan.
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HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS MOST:
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WASHINGTON – Groups of U.S. veterans hope the news that private evacuation flights will begin again for Western citizens in Kabul means Afghans considered at risk of previously working with Americans will also be able to leave again.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers, veterans groups, and other American organizations and individuals have pressured the Biden administration to do more to get these vulnerable Afghans. They include thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. military and are eligible for what are known as special immigrant visas.
James Miervaldis, a spokesman for a group of veterans, No one left behind working for these Afghans, told the news, “Awesome. We will start booking the SIVs.”
Miervaldis said he had still heard the commitment of officials to take out Afghan allies on flights as well as citizens. But the veterans had spoken with Secretary of State Antony Blinken last Friday and let him know that organizations working to remove Afghans have pledged $ 2 million in trade tariffs in Afghanistan.
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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is interested in peace and stability in Afghanistan and in stopping the exodus of Afghans from the country, which has been triggered by the Taliban’s rapid takeover last month.
Putin spoke Thursday at a videoconference summit with officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He told BRICS leaders that “Russia, like its BRICS partners, is constantly supporting the establishment of the long-awaited peace and stability on Afghan soil.”
Putin said Russia is “interested in stopping the flow of migration” and wants Afghans to “live a peaceful and dignified life in their homeland.”
Moscow, which fought a ten-year war in Afghanistan that ended with the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, has returned diplomats as mediators in recent years, reaching feudal Afghan factions, including the Taliban. although Russia has called them a terrorist organization.
Unlike many other countries, Russia has not announced a commitment to take in Afghan refugees after the Taliban took power. Putin has previously said that Moscow does not “want militants (in Russia) to appear again under the guise of refugees.”
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MORE ON AFGHANISTAN:
– Taliban Council of Ministers which pays homage to the old guard
– Databases built in the United States a potential tool of Taliban repression
– Blinken in Austin visit the Gulf to address postwar tensions
– The Taliban say they took Panjshir, the last Afghan province
– More than 24 hours in Kabul, brutality, trauma, moments of grace
– Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/afghanistan
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ISLAMABAD – CIA Director William Burns has met with powerful Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, the army said.
In a statement, the military said regional security and developments in Afghanistan were discussed during the meeting on Thursday. It was not elaborated.
“Pakistan remains committed to cooperating with its international peace partners in the region and ensuring a stable and prosperous future for the Afghan people,” the statement said.
Burns thanked Pakistan for its role in Afghanistan’s evacuation operations and promised further improvements in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan.
Burns also met with Pakistan’s intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, according to the statement.
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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan says Qatar’s foreign minister will arrive in the Pakistani capital Islamabad to discuss the latest situation in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that Qatar’s chief diplomat, Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during his one-day visit on Thursday will meet with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and other high-ranking officials.
Pakistan and Qatar were said to enjoy close and cordial ties. “The two countries work closely together on regional and global issues of common interest,” the statement said.
The development comes two days after the Taliban announced an interim government for Afghanistan. The Taliban hold a political position in Doha.
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KABUL, Afghanistan – The new Taliban government’s interior ministry wants to end protests in Afghanistan after days of protests that have sparked mass attacks on protesters.
The minister has issued an order to end all protests in the country unless protesters get prior permission, including the approval of slogans and banners.
Women who have been leading virtually daily protests are unlikely to be allowed to demand their rights from the country’s hard-line Islamic rulers to protest under the new rules. In the words of the ministry’s statement: “It is announced to all citizens not to attempt to hold demonstrations under any name at any time.”
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KABUL, Afghanistan – Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has taken to Twitter to say his flight from Kabul on August 15 was made to save the Afghan capital from bloodshed. He says his security personnel advised the secret exit, which opened the city’s gates to a Taliban takeover.
Ghani also denies widespread allegations of corruption, as well as allegations he left the country with millions of dollars. He says there should be an independent investigation.
Ghani’s sudden departure has been widely criticized both in Afghanistan and abroad. Washington blamed Ghani’s flight and the collapse of the government for a Taliban takeover before a negotiated deal.
Leading Afghan political figures left behind say they hope to meet with Taliban political leaders the next day to continue negotiations.