1TV: An urgent manhunt is underway for an Afghan father who abducted his three sons from their foster home in London. Imran Safi, 26, is said to have threatened a foster carer with knife in Coulsdon, south London, on August 20 before taking the children, according to a statement issued by UK Embassy in Kabul on Monday. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: The nominees for minister positions:
Dr. Abdullah
Tolo News: Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, on Monday issued a statement opposing President Ashraf Ghani’s decree officially listing members of the council, saying that according to the political agreement it is the authority of the head of the council to appoint its members. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: The Taliban is believed to have fired a number of rockets at a US army base and a joint US-Afghan airfield in the past few weeks in what is a breach of the Doha agreement between the US and the insurgent group. New York Times reported Sunday night that according to military sources, about 12 rockets landed around Camp Bastion, an airbase in Helmand province, in late July. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV: Some years ago, Taliban leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada had sent a delegation to Helmand province for peace talks, but the president said the government was not ready, former chairman of High Peace Council, Karim Khalili, said on Sunday. Click here to read more (external link).
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Source: Tolo News
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
August 30, 2020
KABUL — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has revealed the names of the appointed members and leaders of the country’s High Council for National Reconciliation, a body tasked with leading peace negotiations with the Taliban.
Political figures, including current and former officials, leaders of political parties, and renowned religious leaders are among the more than 40 council members approved by Ghani, according to a presidential decree issued late on August 29.
The list includes former mujahedin leaders Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, as well as civil-society activist Safia Sediqqi and eight other women.
One of the appointed women was named the deputy of council head Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief executive officer of Afghanistan’s unity government.
Former President Hamid Karzai was also named but he rejected the appointment in a statement on August 30, saying he declines to be part of any government structure.
The High Council for National Reconciliation is to oversee a 21-member negotiating team appointed by Ghani in March to conduct face-to-face talks with the Taliban.
The talks are part of an agreement reached between the militants and the United States in February in an effort to end nearly 19 years of war in Afghanistan.
On August 26, the Taliban announced it had formed a new 20-member department responsible for Taliban representation at both the intra-Afghan talks and further negotiations with the United States.
The beginning of the planned peace talks has faced some serious challenges, including the issue of the release of prisoners.
The internationally recognized government in Kabul has recently reversed a decision to release the last 320 Taliban prisoners it is holding until the insurgents free more captured soldiers.
“The Taliban will have to release our commandos held by them before the government resumes the release of the remaining 320 Taliban prisoners,” Javid Faisal, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council, tweeted on August 29.
With reporting by dpa, TOLOnews, and AP
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Ariana: Spectators will be allowed to watch this year’s Shpageeza Cricket League matches at Kabul Cricket Stadium, albeit at reduced numbers, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced. In a statement issued Saturday, ACB said the Ministry of Public Health had given them the go-ahead to allow spectators to watch matches. However, strict rules will be enforced. Click here to read more (external link).
RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal
August 29, 2020
Rescuers are continuing to search for victims of flash flooding that has left hundreds dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Officials in Afghanistan said on August 29 that about 160 people had been killed in 13, mostly northern, provinces that have been struck by the flooding.
In neighboring Pakistan, at least 96 people were reported killed in flooding that was mostly concentrated in the southeastern part of the country.
“This is unprecedented [rainfall] and has broken all previous records,” Murad Ali Shah, chief minister of Sindh Province, told journalists, adding that on August 27 alone, Karachi received 230 millimeters of rain.
At least 2 million people in Karachi have been affected by the flooding, with some neighborhoods virtually inaccessible because of the high water.
In Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said security forces were helping with recovery efforts, while NATO issued a statement saying its forces were also assisting.
The monsoon season in the region lasts from June to September.
With reporting by AFP and AP
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