International Humanitarian Aid: Intended to the Needy, Used by the Taliban!

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Taliban militant (file photo)

8am: A report prepared for the United States government has revealed the infiltration and control of “terrorists” in humanitarian aid efforts in Afghanistan. According to the report, the Taliban have systematically and purposefully infiltrated international aid agencies in Afghanistan. The Taliban view international aid as a source of income, and aid organizations have lost their bargaining power due to agreements signed with the group’s intelligence. The report states that the Taliban exploits and coerces local relief organizations’ forces to gain credibility. Since the rise of “terrorists and drug traffickers” to power illegally, the misuse of humanitarian aid has increased in an organized manner. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan Refugees in Pakistan Worry as Their Refugee Cards Expire

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Muska Safi
Ahmadullah Archiwal
VOA News
July 27, 2023

The residency cards of more than a million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan have not been extended, causing concern among the migrants about their refugee status.

The Proof of Registration cards of about 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees expired June 30, 2023, and the Pakistani government has yet to extend them.

Afghan refugees in Pakistan told VOA that they are facing many obstacles, including restrictions on movement within Pakistan and the curtailment of employment.

“We are facing problems,” said Ali Zadran, an Afghan refugee in the Kot Chandna refugee camp in Mianwali in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

“Our cards have expired. … We can’t travel. We can’t even reserve a hotel room,” he said, adding that Pakistani security forces harass refugees without proper documentation.

Ahmad Shah, an Afghan refugee in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told VOA that failure to extend the cards means refugees would be vulnerable to police abuse.

“When we go out, police are everywhere. When they stop us and see our cards that are expired, then we are arrested.”

He said the cards are only used as proof that “we can stay in Pakistan, but the renewal takes longer.”

The cards serve as an identity document by which Afghan refugees can remain legally in Pakistan and travel within the country. It cannot be used to travel outside the country.

The registered refugees who have valid cards “cannot be arrested under the 1946 Foreigners Act or other preventive laws.”

The Proof of Registration cards were issued to Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2006 and were last extended for two years in 2021.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stated that among 3.7 million Afghans living in Pakistan, more than 1.3 million are registered.

UNHCR spokesperson in Pakistan, Qaiser Khan Afridi, told VOA that the U.N. is in touch with Pakistani officials.

“The Interior Ministry [of Pakistan] has sent an official letter to the provincial governments in Pakistan that they [Pakistani police] should not take any steps against the Afghan refugees until their PoR cards are not renewed,” he said.

Abbas Khan, Pakistan’s commissioner for Afghan refugees, told VOA that the cards may be extended.

“The cards might be extended for two years. Otherwise, the relevant organization would send a letter so that there would be no problem for the Afghans,” he said.

But some Afghans are concerned about losing their jobs.

Milad Wahidi, an Afghan refugee who lives in Peshawar and works with a foreign organization in Islamabad, told VOA that he must stay at home until his card is renewed.

“I will lose my job if the card is not renewed soon,” he said. “I have children, and it will be difficult for me to feed them without having a job.”

New refugees

Meanwhile, thousands of Afghans are fleeing the Taliban and crossing the border to neighboring countries. In Pakistan, crackdowns on Afghan refugees have intensified in recent months despite Taliban calls for Pakistani authorities to stop arresting Afghans living in Pakistan.

Human rights watchdogs also have called on Pakistan to stop the harassment of Afghan refugees.

“The Government of Pakistan must urgently stop arbitrarily arresting and harassing Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, many of whom are fleeing persecution by the Taliban,” Amnesty International said in a statement on June 20.

UNHCR adds that after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, around 1.6 million people fled Afghanistan, of which 600,000 crossed the border into Pakistan.

Roshan Noorzai from VOA’s Afghan Service contributed to this report, which originated in VOA’s Afghan Service.

 

Shi’ite Scholars Ask Mourners To Tone Down Muharram Observance After Taliban Imposed Restrictions

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Taliban fighters (file photo)

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
July 27, 2023

The Council of Shi’ite Scholars of Afghanistan on July 26 published a declaration calling on mourners to scale back their activities during ceremonies to mark the start of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar.

The council’s declaration called on mourners to refrain from programs and street processions during the observance of Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram. Mourners instead were asked to go individually to two the Abul Fazl and Sakhi shrines in Kabul.

The declaration said the decisions were based on security reasons.

The declaration also instructed young mourners to donate blood to Imam Hussain’s Blood Bank in Kabul instead of taking part in self-flagellation rituals that cause them to bleed.

From the first to the 10th day of the month of Muharram, Afghan Shi’ite Muslims commemorate the death anniversary of Imam Hussain, the prophet of Islam’s grandson, and his followers in the battle of Karbala in 6th century. Shi’ite Muslims commemorate these days with large gatherings and perform religious ceremonies.

Before the Taliban seized power in August 2021, the observance of Muharram occurred with few restrictions. Shi’a under the Western-backed Afghan government were free to go out in cities in cars and on motorcycles, playing religious songs and carrying black flags to signify grief. They also distributed sweets and food.

The council’s declaration came after the Taliban imposed restrictions on Muharram, also citing security concerns. The move was widely opposed by Afghan Shi’a.

Shi’ite religious scholar Ayatollah Syed Mohsen Hojat on July 25 asked his followers to celebrate the Muharram ceremony without regard to the restrictions of the Taliban-led government.

“When the government wants to limit us, standing against it is not only my job, it is not only your job, but it is what we all should do,” Hojat said. “We should stand by each other. We live in this country and support the government until they don’t oppose our religion. But if they ask us to lower the flag and not follow traditions, we shouldn’t listen to them.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid did not respond to Radio Azadi’s request for comment on Hojat’s statement.

Mujahid previously announced harsher restrictions on processions during Muharram, saying that observers should refrain from organizing gatherings and should hold ceremonies in particular mosques and Shi’ite shrines.

There have been several attacks on Shi’a in Afghanistan resulting in deaths and injuries in the past years in the month of Muharram. The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A number of Shi’ite clerics in Kabul on July 22 asked the Taliban government to protect the Muharram ceremony without any restrictions. The head of Council of Shi’ite Scholars, Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, reiterated this demand in an interview with Radio Azadi on Monday July 24.

Some Shi’ite mourners say they are currently conducting ceremonies while taking into account the limitations put in place by the Taliban-led government.

Qari Ali Faizi, a resident of Kabul, on July 26 told Radio Azadi that considering the restrictions imposed by the government and security problems, the site of a ceremony had been transferred.

In some videos published on social media, the date of which was not known, a Taliban soldier can be seen hitting a mourner with sticks. The Taliban has not responded to the videos.

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.

Iran’s Concerns about Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s Rule

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8am: Over the past two years, it has become evident that the Taliban lacks the capability to effectively combat and eradicate terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. The widespread destructive actions carried out by extremist groups, particularly ISIS-K, throughout the country have exposed the Taliban’s weaknesses in dealing with such threats. In fact, the Taliban’s ascent to power has inadvertently provided a supportive environment for terrorist groups, enabling their operations within Afghanistan. The Taliban’s leniency towards these groups has raised concerns for neighboring countries, particularly Iran. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Afghan Acting Foreign Minister To Meet US Officials in Doha

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Muttaqi

Khaama: According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan on Thursday, a delegation led by the acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, will travel to Doha at the end of this month to discuss related issues with the US officials. Meanwhile, the ministry said that the top priorities in these negotiations will be the release of Afghanistan’s frozen reserves, lifting sanctions and blacklists, and violating Afghanistan’s airspace. In addition, the delegation will also discuss bilateral relations with Qatar’s officials, the statement said. Click here to read more (external link).

Related

Afghan Journalists Wary of Taliban Registration

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Akmal Dawi
VOA News
July 27, 2023

WASHINGTON — Journalists in Afghanistan are facing a new requirement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture to register and obtain identification cards in order to verify their identities and professional affiliations.

“We started the process in Kabul on Wednesday and have informed provincial authorities to do the same,” Abdul Wahid Rayan, MIC’s director for media monitoring, told VOA.

The identification cards issued to journalists will feature a bar code linked to the MIC website, storing journalists’ photos, names, affiliation and contact information.

Given free of charge, the badges will also include an emergency contact number for journalists to use when encountering security threats or difficulties while performing their jobs.

The Taliban have imposed gender-based restrictions on female journalists and media personnel, but Rayan said female journalists would also be registered and given identification cards.

“So far, no female journalist has registered,” he said, “but if they come, we will register and give them ID cards, too.”

Representatives of two free media support organizations told VOA they were not consulted by MIC about the registration drive and expressed concerns about the Taliban’s underlying motives.

“We do not know why [the Taliban] want to do this and what their true intentions are,” said Abdul Qadeem Wyar, president of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee.

“We believe that identification cards from media organizations are sufficient and there is no need to have additional ID cards from the Taliban,” said Sumaya Walizada, a spokesperson for the Afghan Journalists Center.

Echoing concerns voiced by Afghan media support organizations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said the Taliban’s move appears to impose further controls on the press.

“It is extremely alarming,” Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, told VOA.

“The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture is trying to portray the registration drive as a way to protect and support journalists,” Beh said. “But it is the latest move to tighten control and surveillance of journalists and curtail any free and independent reporting in Afghanistan.”

Old, unclear policy

Taliban officials said the policy to register journalists was initiated by the former Afghan government before it collapsed in August 2021.

Despite being in power for nearly two years, the Islamist regime has not enacted a new media law, saying the mass media law approved by the previous government was still largely valid.

As written, the law prohibits government interference in media affairs and offers protection for a free press. In practice, however, the Taliban are widely accused of unlawfully detaining, torturing and harassing journalists and enforcing policies that censor and restrict journalism — charges the Taliban reject.

“The Taliban’s crackdown on independent media in Afghanistan has been so catastrophic that there is virtually no free press left in the country,” Beh said.

It is unclear how the Taliban will register freelance reporters, vloggers and foreign journalists who visit Afghanistan for brief assignments.

Several foreign journalists have said they were declared persona non grata by Taliban authorities because of their perceived bias while reporting on events in Afghanistan.

Over the past two years, thousands of Afghan journalists have left the country as scores of media outlets have gone out of operation, largely because of the lack of resources and Taliban restrictions.

Afghan Relocation Flights Paused, Activists Call For Resumption

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Akmal Dawi
VOA News
July 26, 2023

WASHINGTON — Relocation flights from Afghanistan carrying Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants to U.S. immigration processing centers in Qatar and other countries have been suspended for more than one month, and it’s unclear when they will resume.

For nearly two years since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) has been relocating SIV-eligible Afghans by air and overland routes.

The U.S. government used military planes to evacuate tens of thousands of Afghans amid a chaotic withdrawal from the country in August 2021.

Subsequently, most Afghans have been relocated by chartered commercial flights from Taliban-controlled Kabul airport.

A spokesperson for the Department of State confirmed that the relocation flights have been “paused since mid-June” but did not offer additional details because of operational sensitivity.

“We are hopeful these flights will resume soon,” the spokesperson said.

Despite condemning the Taliban’s repressive policies, U.S. officials had previously welcomed the ability of SIV-eligible Afghans to board relocation flights.

Sources involved in support of CARE operations gave different explanations for the pause in the flights from Kabul.

One source, who asked not to be named in this article because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the group’s security and operational issues, said the Taliban had suspended the flights because of internal disagreements.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, said he was not aware of any restrictions imposed on the relocation flights on their part.

A second source said the U.S. had paused the flights due to concerns that the Taliban leadership was benefiting from the chartered flights by Afghan carriers, potentially violating U.S. economic sanctions on the Taliban.

Calls for resumption

While the U.S. has no diplomatic presence in Afghanistan and has largely curtailed engagement with de facto Taliban authorities, activists say now is not the time to wind down the relocation program.

“Any efforts that the U.S. has to meet our obligation to our allies should not be paused,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, an umbrella body of individuals and non-government organizations advocating for Afghans who worked for the U.S. in Afghanistan.

“We have an obligation to those left behind,” said Chris Purdy, director of Veterans for American Ideals and Outreach, a coalition of veterans that advocate for human rights.

Over 152,000 Afghans who say they worked for the U.S. military in Afghanistan prior to the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 have applied for the SIV program, according to the Department of State.

They are competing for about 17,000 principal SIVs remaining in the program. Some U.S. lawmakers have proposed legislation that will add 20,000 additional principal SIVs through 2029.

Human rights groups have accused the Taliban of targeting former Afghan government forces and individuals who worked for the U.S. in the past, a charge the Taliban deny, saying the group has offered a general amnesty.

“I don’t trust the Taliban,” Purdy told VOA. “Just because someone has successfully hidden for two years doesn’t mean that they should have to live their lives under fear.”

Critics have also complained that the program is not moving quickly or efficiently enough to relocate vulnerable Afghans.

“For nearly two years, the U.S. government has failed to evacuate at-risk Afghans in a speedy and efficient manner,” said Adam Bates, a policy counsel with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).

The IRAP has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court accusing the government of leaving thousands of Afghan and Iraqi SIV applicants at serious risk in their home countries.

“Instead of abandoning its allies, the U.S. must increase efforts and resources to create viable pathways to safety for at-risk Afghans, better late than never,” said Bates.

U.S. officials say they are committed to making every feasible effort to relocating SIV-eligible Afghans.

“Many factors in the relocation process impact the pace of operations and are out of the control of the U.S. government,” said the Department of State’s spokesperson.