The Christian Science Monitor: This week Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan’s security with Pakistani and Chinese envoys, the third such meeting and a sign, say analysts, of rising Russian concern over instability and Islamic extremism on the borders of its sphere of influence. Could Moscow be a useful partner in Afghanistan? Or will it only add
Tolo News: Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, son of reconciled leader of Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, at a gathering on Thursday termed the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country slaves of foreigners. “Recently, these murderers and slaves are named as Khawarij in media, but I must say that they [Taliban] are worse than Khawarij,” Junior Hekmatyar said. The
Tolo News: A number of lawyers and lawmakers on Wednesday said the continued absence of the First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum from work is against the national interests. They said government should address the allegations against Dostum as soon as possible. Dostum has not been at work since the alleged assault against former Jawzjan governor
Tolo News: A credible source told TOLOnews that the reason for France objecting to the removal of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s name from the UN’s blacklist has not been clarified, but some political commentators have linked their reluctance to the killing of ten French soldiers in 2013 by the Hizb-e-Islami group. Three years ago, militants reportedly associated with
Washington Post: For 30 years, Gen. Abdurrashid Dostum has reigned as northern Afghanistan’s untouchable warrior-king: first as a ruthless pro-communist general, later as an armed U.S. ally against the Taliban and finally as a reliable, if unsavory, political boss who could deliver votes from his ethnic Uzbek followers. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama Press: Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the so-called Durand Line will never be recognised as [the] official border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Speaking during an event in Kabul, Karzai said the line has remained a controversial issue between the two nations for many years, imposed by outsiders. Karzai further that Afghanistan’s reluctance to
Tolo News: Batur Eshchi, son of Ahmad Eshchi, the former governor of Jawzjan province, has dismissed so-called forensic evidence issued by the first vice president’s office regarding his father’s case and said the document is fake. Eshchi claims to have been beaten and sexually assaulted on First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum’s orders. On Friday,
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan December 22, 2016 Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has refused a summons by the country’s attorney general over allegations that he and his bodyguards assaulted and abducted a political rival at a sports event in northern Afghanistan last month. On December 22, Dostum’s chief of staff, Enayatullah Babur Farhamand, called
Tolo News: The office of Mohammad Sarwar Danish, the second vice president of Afghanistan, on Thursday rejected reports that former Hizb-e-Islami warlord Zardad Faryadi was released from detention on the basis of a letter of guarantee by Danish. Danish’s office said in a press release that Faryadi was not detained following his return to Kabul and
Tolo News: The United States has called for an impartial and serious investigation into allegations made by former member of National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, Ahmad Eshchi, against the First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum. A spokesman for U.S Secretary of State John Kirby said they are upset about the alleged illegal arrest and treatment of