RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan January 21, 2017 The head of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council — a government panel tasked with negotiating an end to the country’s conflict with the Taliban – has died at the age of 84. Abdul Khabir Ochqun, the deputy head of the council, told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan that Council Chief
Tolo News: Former vice president Mohammad Younus Qanooni on Thursday said that the current centralized political system was not meeting the needs of the country as power has been monopolized within the presidential palace. With the current system, power has been centralized to the presidential palace and it has increased Afghanistan’s political, military and social issues,
Tolo News: Senators from the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) on Sunday asked President Ashraf Ghani to dissolve the High Peace Council (HPC) following the insensitive remarks uttered by former HPC advisor Abdul Hakim Mujahid. According to the senators, those who call the Taliban peace angels and say they are a sacred group are disrespecting
Tolo News: President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Representative for Reforms and Good Governance Ahmad Zia Massoud on Tuesday said that the majority of cabinet ministers were appointed on the basis of political connections. He said that even the president was not able to question the weak performance of these ministers because of the political support they have.
Tolo News: A Ministry of Interior (MoI) general was on Monday sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center’s (ACJC) primary court after being found guilty of accepting a substantial bribe. The ACJC prosecutor said the deputy chief of MoI policy, Gen. Wase Rauofi, was arrested after accepting a $150,000 USD bribe
Khaama Press: The leader of Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may return to Kabul even before sanctions relief or removal of party leaders’ name from the UN blacklist. According to a statement released by Hezb-e-Islami party, Hekmatyar has called on the government to enforce the peace deal, slamming certain countries that attempt to hinder the peace agreement signed
Tolo News: Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah Thursday called on all Afghans to comply with the provisions of the nation’s constitution. The two officials had been speaking at a ceremony in Kabul to mark the 13th anniversary of the ratification of the Afghan constitution. “It is important that institutions in Afghanistan including the
Khaama Press: The Office of the First Vice President has angrily reacted at Ata Mohammad Noor’s remarks after he claimed to reject offers for replacing General Abdul Rashid Dostum as the First Vice President. During an interview with BBC, Noor claimed that some officials in Kabul proposed to him to replace Gen. Dostum and take over the
Tolo News: Former politician and Jihadi figure Mohammad Ismail Khan on Monday warned that Afghanistan is likely to enter a new era of conflict unless government reviews its regional policies, referring to the recent trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan and Russia on Afghanistan. If action is not taken, Afghanistan could change into a second Syria, he
1TV: The acting governor of northern Balkh province and Chief Executive of Jamiat-e-Islami party has said that he does not believe on decision-making capability of Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and it has led him to open direct talks with President Ashraf Ghani. Click here to read more (external link). Related Not counting on Abdullah Abdullah anymore: