KABUL (Afghanistan): Last week, senior officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) traveled to three different countries.
Various countries and organizations have expressed concern over the morality law enacted by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on the interim government to reconsider its decisions on girls’ education and women’s employment.
During the past week, the European Union (EU) and Japan also contributed $24.4 million in aid to Afghanistan.
Last week’s key events:
UNAMA, others dealing with moral law, the IEA reject the reservations
OIC calls on Kabul to reconsider restrictions on girls and women
Nadeem: There is research on higher education for girls
IEA representatives travel to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Cameroon
AAF aircraft to remain in Uzbekistan, US says
Deal on Afghan planes in Uzbekistan is unacceptable: MO
The EU and Japan are contributing $26.4 million in aid to Afghanistan
Losses:
Last week, nine people were killed and four others were injured in separate incidents in Afghanistan.
According to reports, a man stabbed his brother to death in Uruzgan province, while another man killed his two children in Kundaz province.
In Badghis, a woman shot his hunand and child. Local officials said a young man was killed with a sickle in Faryab province.
One person was killed and two others were injured in a clash between two families in Nangarhar province.
Note: Casualty figures are based on Afghanistan Afghan News. There is a possibility that some incidents may go unreported or sources may report incorrect numbers.
During the previous week, 16 people were killed and six others injured in various incidents across the country.
Before regime change in Afghanistan in August 2021, hundreds of civilians and security personnel would be killed and injured every week.
Act of MoVV
Last week, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue (MoVV) codified the law – which consists of four chapters and 35 articles. It entered into force after being ratified by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate and published in the official gazette.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed concern about the law, which imposes extensive and far-reaching restrictions on personal conduct.
“It’s a disturbing vision for the future of Afghanistan, where morale inspectors have discretionary power to threaten and detain anyone based on a broad and sometimes vague list of offenses,” said Roza Otunbayeva, special deputy secretary-general and head of UNAMA.
“It expands the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, with even the sound of a woman’s voice outside the home clearly considered a moral violation,” she said.
Based on an initial review, two articles of the law represent positive steps, namely outlawing the mistreatment of orphans and prohibiting bača bazithe pedophile practice of using young boys for personal entertainment and sexual abuse.
In addition to UNAMA, the European Union, the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia and some other countries have also expressed concern about the morality law.
However, the Islamic Emirate dismissed as “baseless” the concerns raised by UNAMA and other parties regarding the newly adopted morality law.
Zabihullah Mujahid, IEA’s chief spokesman, said the MoVV was tasked with implementing these Sharia-based laws in a fair and appropriate manner.
Women’s rights
Last week, Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadeem said research by religious scholars on girls’ higher education was continuing.
He added that if found legitimate, women would be allowed to continue their higher education, otherwise it would remain suspended.
However, Tarig Ali Bakhit, the OIC Secretary General’s special envoy for Afghanistan, asked the interim government to reconsider its decisions on girls’ education and women’s work.
Foreign trips of IEA representatives
A high-level IEA delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar traveled to Uzbekistan to attend the inauguration of the Termez International Trade Center.
Baradar welcomed the opening of the Termez International Trade Center as a new chapter in cooperation between Tashkent and Kabul.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, a representative of the dreamer said that the opening of the mall marked a significant step towards strengthening trade ties.
Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev has expressed readiness to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli Corridor in order to strengthen trade relations with Afghanistan and other regional countries. He expressed his readiness at a meeting with Baradar.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the 50th meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Cameroon.
The top diplomat called on the largest Islamic bloc and the world to work to free up Afghanistan’s assets and lift economic sanctions as well as a travel ban on IEA officials.
Last week, a delegation led by Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hidayatullah Badri traveled to Turkmenistan.
The delegation held separate meetings in Samarkand with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet and various sector ministers, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
Acting Finance Minister Mullah Mohammad Nasir Akhund called on the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Stephen Rodriques to implement mega economic projects in Afghanistan.
Controversy over Afghan planes
U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick told Uzbek Kun News Washington and Tashkent have reached an agreement on the status of combat aircraft and military helicopters belonging to the Afghan army, which Afghan pilots will transport to the Central Asian country in 2021.
After the fall of the former government in August 2021, more than 40 helicopters were hijacked by Afghan pilots to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) of Afghanistan condemned the remarks of the American Henick regarding the agreement on Afghan aircraft.
The Ministry of Defense says any deal involving Afghan military aircraft in Uzbekistan is unacceptable.
Claims of TTP presence, IEA response
Last week, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was organizing “terrorist attacks” inside his country from Afghanistan.
However, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense dismissed the Pakistani leader’s claim as baseless.
The ministry said the TTP had open centers and facilities in Pakistan-controlled areas and organized attacks from there.
Ongoing humanitarian assistance:
Last week, the European Union announced 13 million euros in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Japan also contributed 10 million US dollars for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers.
kk/mud
