PM Hassan’s Absence in Cabinet Meeting Raises Questions

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Mullah Hassan Akhund

Tolo News: TOLOnews’ findings show that there has been no news about any cabinet meeting under the Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund within nearly the past two months. However, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Zabiullah Mujahid, stressed that Mullah Hassan Akhund was present in weekly cabinet meetings. “We have the cabinet meeting every Monday as usual in the capital, Kabul. The PM is holding it. The meeting took place in Kandahar, but the rest of the meetings will be in Kabul and the Prime Minister will be present,” he said. Click here to read more (external link).

Zakaria Zamani, Afghan boxer, defeats Thai opponent

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Khaama: On Sunday, November 26th, in Bangkok, Thailand, Zakaria Zamani, an athlete and boxer from Afghanistan, secured a victory by defeating his Thai opponent. According to the report, the event was held in the 67-kilogram weight category in Thailand, where Zakaria Zamani, an Afghan athlete and boxer, emerged victorious by defeating his Thai opponent in his respective weight class. Click here to read more (external link).

Rocket Attacks Target Bagram District Building in Parwan Province

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8am: Eyewitnesses claim that at least 10 rockets were launched toward the Bagram building, with some of the fired missiles hitting the target. According to local sources, the Taliban suffered casualties as a result of this attack, but the exact number is not yet known. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, armed anti-Taliban fronts have escalated attacks on the group’s positions in various parts of the country in recent days. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Freedom Front alleges that its forces have carried out 12 attacks on Taliban positions in the past month, resulting in the death and injury of over 50 Taliban members, including their commanders. Click here to read more (external link).

Explosion in Taliqan City: One Taliban Fighter Killed, Two Others Injured

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8am: Sources indicate that the explosion occurred around 2:10 PM on Saturday, November 25, in the area of Sarak-e Awal-e Shahidi in Taliqan City, the center of Takhar province. According to the sources, the target was a Taliban Ranger-type vehicle. This comes after a Taliban commander named Hozaifa was killed, and his guard was injured in the Khaja Ghar district of this province by the Freedom Front of Afghanistan yesterday. Click here to read more (external link).

Spokesperson: Muttaqi Temporarily to Assume Some Duties of Deputy PM

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Muttaqi

Tolo News: The acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has temporarily taken on the task of regulating the Islamic Emirate’s internal and external policy, which was one of the duties of the Prime Minister’s political deputy. [Mawlawi Abdul Kabir] Some political analysts said that the Islamic Emirate’s leaders’ presence is important in meetings, and urged that the current government provide an explanation for the officials’ attendance and absence. Click here to read more (external link).

Pakistan Firm on Exit Fee for Afghans Waiting for Asylum in West

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Ayaz Gul
VOA News
November 24, 2023

ISLAMABAD — Officials in Pakistan have defended charging fees on Afghan nationals leaving the country or waiting for Western-sponsored resettlements, saying the decision complies with local immigration laws.

The targeted community comprises tens of thousands of people who worked for the U.S.-led NATO military mission in Afghanistan and fled the country fearing reprisals after the then-insurgent Taliban seized power in August 2021.

A Pakistani immigration official confirmed Friday that each Afghan asylum-seeker waiting to depart to a third country would be charged more than $800 for overstaying their visas or not possessing documents to stay legally.

“The government is doing a big favor to them. Otherwise, they would have to pay such amount every week in penalties,” the official told VOA anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

U.S. officials have reported that about 25,000 Afghans could be eligible for relocation to the United States under a special immigration program. Britain has announced it would resettle more than 20,000 people from Afghanistan in the coming years.
Western embassies in Islamabad offering resettlement plans have reportedly decried the imposition of exit fees as an unprecedented move and raised it with Pakistani authorities through relevant United Nations agencies.

Thursday, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected “inaccurate” media claims questioning the legality of the financial penalty or suggesting it is Afghan-specific.

“The fact is that under Pakistani laws, like the immigration laws in several countries, including the United Kingdom, there are fines and punishments for individuals who overstay their visas or are found to be in violation of immigration laws,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly news conference in Islamabad.

“So, any fines that Pakistan has imposed or will impose will be in conformity with our laws,” she said.

The imposition of exit fees comes amid mass deportations of foreigners, including an estimated 1.7 million Afghans illegally residing in Pakistan or overstaying their visas.

The crackdown has forced nearly 360,000 Afghans to return to their country of origin since mid-September, according to official data released Friday. Pakistani authorities have said those waiting for resettlement in the U.S. and other countries will not be deported to Afghanistan.

Pakistan has also repeatedly clarified that the 1.4 million legal Afghan refugees it hosts and more than 800,000 Afghan migrants registered by the Pakistani government in collaboration with the former Afghan government and the International Organization for Migration are not the subjects of the deportation plans.

The United Nations and partner agencies have repeatedly urged Islamabad to suspend its deportation plans, citing the onset of a harsh winter and the “worsening” Afghan humanitarian crisis.

Philippa Candler, representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, in Pakistan, said Tuesday that “mass arrivals are adding to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where winter temperatures are already dipping to -4°C (24.8° F) in some locations.

“Many Afghan returnees are vulnerable, including women and children, who could lose their lives in a harsh winter if left without adequate shelter,” Candler said.

Afghan Embassy To India Closed Permanently

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By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
November 24, 2023

Afghanistan’s embassy to New Delhi has announced it is closing permanently due to what it said was “pressure from the Indian government” and lack of diplomatic recognition. The embassy said in a statement that the closure entered into force already on November 23 and came after the ceasing of operations from the start of last month. The statement said that emergency consular services will continue to be provided to Afghan citizens. The embassy requested that the Afghan flag remain on the building.

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Related

Beloved Afghan Music Icon Ustad Mahwash retires after five decades

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Ustad Mahwash

Khaama: Gulalai Farida, known as Ustad Mahwash, is one of Afghanistan’s most beloved musicians, earning titles such as “Ustad” (meaning master) and “Lady of Afghan Music” throughout her illustrious career. After five decades of artistic dedication, she bid farewell to the stage. Click here to read more (external link).