Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Amu: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami, said the current situation in Afghanistan is “unacceptable” to “all Afghans” and called for immediate political change, including the holding of elections. In a statement published on Saturday, Hekmatyar said the country’s conditions fall short of public expectations and require urgent reform. Click here to read more (external link).
Sofia Sarwari
Amu: Sofia Sarwari, an Afghan grappling athlete, has won a championship title at a World League Jiu-Jitsu competition held in Frankfurt, Germany. Sarwari secured the gold medal in the “no-gi” division — a format of the sport practiced without a traditional uniform — after winning four matches without defeat. She also placed first in the absolute category, competing against eight athletes from countries including the United States, Egypt and Germany, and was awarded a championship belt. Click here to read more (external link).
More Afghan Sports
8am: Several residents of Kabul have complained about a rise in armed home robberies in recent days. They say that thieves operate in organized groups, entering homes at night and stealing people’s belongings. According to them, in some cases, the thieves also harm individuals inside the houses in addition to committing theft. They add that these armed individuals introduce themselves as members of the Taliban and enter homes under the pretext of conducting searches. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: The World Health Organization (WHO), in its latest report, has highlighted changes in the prevalence of several diseases during the month of March. According to the organization’s findings, cases of pneumonia have decreased by 33.1 percent, while malaria cases have increased by 25 percent. The report states that the mortality rate from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) has remained high at 10.2 percent. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Thirteen members of the “Nawshakh Unity” mountaineering team, in coordination with the National Olympic Committee, the Department of Physical Education, and the Balkh Mountaineering Federation, successfully reached the summit of Janwar Koh, a peak standing approximately 1,800 meters high in Marmol district. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Afghan Sports News
Taliban militants (file photo)
Afghanistan International: Students at Bamiyan and Kandahar universities told Afghanistan International that the Taliban are using seminars and coordinated campaigns to pressure students to change their religious beliefs. Observers say these measures are part of a broader effort to eliminate religious diversity in Afghanistan. One student at Kandahar University said Taliban officials openly declared Shiites as infidels during an official seminar on Wednesday, April 15. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Three sources in Kandahar and Dubai confirmed the arrest, saying it was linked to his efforts to establish a structure for coordinating between religious scholars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).