The brave merchants of Wakhan, the ‘other’ Afghanistan

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Al Jazeera:  The Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region situated in the far northeast of Afghanistan, is bordered by the Hindu Kush mountains and peaks, some reaching 5,000 metres. Isolated from the rest of Afghanistan, the region was spared by the war that raged through the country for years. But many of the territory’s residents continue to live as if in the Middle Ages, without water or electricity.  They rely on a handful of merchants to supply them with basic necessities such as salt and flour. Without these goods, the inhabitants of the Wakhan Corridor would struggle to survive the harsh winter, with temperatures dropping below -30 degrees Celsius. Click here to read more (external link).

Polio cases reach to 9 in Afghanistan

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uruzganKABUL, Afghanistan, June 19 (Xinhua) — The number of polio cases in Afghanistan has reached nine as a new case has been detected in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said in a statement released here Wednesday.

“Unfortunately another polio case detected in Trinkot, capital city of Uruzgan province as a two and half years old boy affected with the crippling disease,” the statement said, adding the immunity vaccine dozes have not been given to children in the restive area due to insecurity problems.

According to the statement, since the beginning of current year, a total of nine polio cases including four in Uruzgan, two in Helmand, two in Kandahar and one in Kunar provinces, where anti-government militants including Taliban group are active, have been recorded.

The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering the efforts to stamp the infectious disease out in the insurgency-battered mountainous country, the statement said.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world that the positive endemic polio cases are reported every year.

Central Bank Confirms Money Smuggling To Iran

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Khalil Sediq

Khalil Sediq

Tolo News: The outgoing governor of the Central Bank, Khalil Sediq, says that tens of thousands of dollars are smuggled from Afghanistan to Iran on a daily basis through the air and ground routes. Sediq said that big groups from inside and outside Afghanistan are involved in money laundering in the country through different channels.  Critics said the transfer of illegal money from one country to another shows the “weakness” of the state-owned Central Bank to prevent the act. Click here to read more (external link).

US: Seeking Peace Not Troop Withdrawal Agreement With Taliban

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Zalmay Khalilzad

Zalmay Khalilzad

By Ayaz Gul
VOA News
June 18, 2019

ISLAMABAD – The United States explicitly stated Tuesday it is seeking a comprehensive peace agreement with the Taliban that would cover counterterrorism assurances, withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, intra-Afghan talks to find a political settlement to the war and a permanent cease-fire.

“This is a framework which the Taliban accepts,” tweeted chief American peace negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad hours after the insurgent group announced Washington has agreed during negotiations to withdraw its troops and not to interfere in Afghanistan in future.

“As we prepare for the next round of talks with the Taliban, important to remember we seek a comprehensive peace agreement, NOT a withdrawal agreement,” Khalilzad said.

Khalilzad, the Afghan-born reconciliation envoy, stressed that the comprehensive peace deal he is seeking with the insurgent group is made up of the four inter-connected parts and “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

The adversaries in the 17-year-old Afghan war, are expected to meet in Qatar in the next few days for a crucial round of peace talks.

The nearly year-long U.S.-Taliban dialogue process has been under fire for failing to make progress toward ending the conflict.

The criticism prompted Suhail Shaheen, who speaks for the Taliban’s negotiating team, to defend the peace process, saying the U.S. side has accepted a key Taliban demand.

“America has agreed during the negotiations that they will withdraw all their troops and promised  not to interfere in Afghanistan in future. This is a good progress,” Shaheen tweeted Tuesday.

Khalilzad, has acknowledged that in previous rounds of talks with the Taliban the two sides have reached a preliminary framework agreement on troop withdrawal and assurances the Taliban would not to allow international terrorism from Afghan soil.

The U.S. envoy, in a previous statement, has vowed that in the upcoming talks with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha he would try to conclude a deal on the first two issues.

The Taliban maintains it will not stop fighting or join intra-Afghan peace talks until all U.S. and NATO troops leave the country.

Related

England defeats Afghanistan in World Cup Match

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cricketBBC: Eoin Morgan broke the record for the number of sixes in a one-day international with an astonishing display of hitting in England’s 150-run World Cup win over Afghanistan. The win lifts England to the top of the 10-team table, ahead of Australia on net run-rate. Afghanistan remain rooted to the bottom, having lost all five of their games. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Says US Has Accepted To Withdraw All Its Troops

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Taliban militants (file photo)

Taliban militants (file photo)

Tolo News: Amid reports about a possible meeting between the US and the Taliban in Doha next week, a Taliban spokesman has said that “the United States has accepted to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan”. Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for Taliban’s spokesman in Qatar, said in a tweet on Tuesday responded to a question that how much progress the peace talks have made so far. He also tweeted that besides accepting the withdrawal of its troops, the US has vowed not to do any interference in Afghanistan’s affairs in the future. He also says the promises by the US are “a good progress” in the peace talks. Click here to read more (external link).

Related

Rival Candidate Accuses Ghani Of ‘Dictatorship’

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Ashraf Ghani

Ashraf Ghani

Tolo News: Presidential candidate Ibrahim Alokozai on Tuesday accused President Ashraf Ghani of “dictatorship, selfishness and egoism” in running the country’s affairs. “He [President Ghani] is like a ‘dictator’ and a ‘selfish’ individual who commits ‘illegal actions’ but implements the law on others,” said Alokozai. “At least 270 guards were assigned to one of his deputies, but for other candidates, guards were hired from private security firms.” Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan Enters AFC Futsal Championship’s Semifinals

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futsalTolo News: Afghanistan’s U20 National Futsal Team defeated Thailand 3-2 in their third match in the AFC Futsal Championship and entered the semifinals of the competitions. Sayed Husain Musawi scored two goals for Afghanistan in this match while the third goal was scored by Farzad Mahmoodi.  Afghanistan will face Indonesia in their next match on Thursday. Click here to read more (external link).

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