Ariana: Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, said in a press conference on Monday that the US does not intend to open its political representation in Afghanistan anytime soon. “Human rights and the return to school for women and girls are at the forefront of our engagement with the Taliban (Islamic Emirate),” said Patel. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Following the United States announcement of transferring $3.6 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank reserves to a trust fund in Switzerland, the establishment of this fund has sparked varied reactions. Certain political factions and economic experts argue that the fund lacks a legal framework, potentially enabling Taliban access to these assets. They point out that a member of the central bank’s high council, under Taliban control, who also serves on this trust fund, raises doubts about its transparency and independence. The trust fund charter allows its members unrestricted control over currency reserves, raising concerns about the potential misuse of Afghanistan’s assets. Recently, the Swiss Federal Council disclosed signing an agreement with the trust fund concerning its privileges and immunities, thereby facilitating enhanced cooperation and positioning for the trust fund. Some economic experts and political factions express serious concerns regarding the trustees’ handling of the fund, fearing it will only serve to enrich the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Kakar
Ariana: Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has said that after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, small arms, left behind in the country, fell into the hands of terrorist groups. “We believe that when the Americans and NATO left Afghanistan, their small weapons fell into the hands of terrorist groups. Considering the situation in Afghanistan, they had high self-confidence and based on that they waged war against the Pakistani government. This happened during my tenure and we took a very clear stand against terrorist groups, and now Pakistan’s army, intelligence and police are strongly fighting against this challenge,” Kakar said in an interview with Pakistan’s Geo News. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban militants (file photo)
8am: According to information obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Monday, February 5th, the Taliban apprehended the two individuals last Saturday in the vicinity of Kabul’s fourth district and subsequently transported them to an undisclosed location. The sources reveal that Mohammad Najim and his son Agha Shirin have no known affiliations with any group in the past. However, they are now held captive on the orders of a Taliban official. It’s reported that this Taliban commander has demanded a ransom of one million Afghanis in cash along with several firearms in exchange for the release of the detainees. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: After the World Health Organization reported on the increase in acute respiratory infections in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Public Health of the Taliban government also confirmed the rise of this disease in the country. The World Health Organization has warned that polluted and toxic air can lead to serious risks such as strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, shortness of breath, and other chronic and acute respiratory illnesses. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
8am: The Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan has refuted the Taliban’s assertion of a decline in drug trafficking from Afghanistan, stating that there is no concrete evidence to support such a reduction. According to a report from the TASS news agency on Monday, February 5th, the Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan (DCA) conveyed that recent intelligence indicates the initiation of drug production in covert laboratories within Afghanistan. Subsequently, these illicit substances are smuggled into Tajikistan before being transported to various other countries. Click here to read more (external link).
File photo
CBS: Afghan authorities captured a rare snow leopard in the country’s mountainous northeast and were preparing to release it back into the wild after it reportedly killed dozens of livestock animals, a conservation group said Sunday. The leopard was captured on Thursday night after becoming trapped in a livestock enclosure in the rural Zibak district of Badakhshan province, savaging some 30 animals, the district’s deputy governor Abdulrahman Kasra told AFP on Saturday. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets with a day to spare in the one-off Test in Colombo on Monday with their opening batsmen chasing down an easy target of 56. Afghanistan were bowled out for 296 in their second innings, setting Sri Lanka the low goal, with Dimuth Karunaratne (32 not out) and Nishan Madushka (22 not out) finishing the job within 7.2 overs. Click here to read more (external link).
Mohammad Sarwar Danish
8am: Moving beyond the Taliban regime is inevitable, and the current situation will eventually come to an end. The Taliban acknowledges this and, therefore, relies on financial resources and inflicts suffering on the people to secure a position before the end of their regime. However, the post-Taliban order should not be a centralized government. The concentration of power in the hands of the president was a major factor in the corruption and ineffectiveness of the republic, ultimately leading to its downfall. Afghanistan should not repeat the same mistakes multiple times. Decentralization of power must be a non-negotiable focus. Efforts in this direction, including the formation of the Federalists Assembly of Afghanistan, can be successful, but it requires a long time and persistent struggle. Establishing a new movement, especially in exile, alone cannot contribute to improving the situation or clarifying the path for the future. Click here to read more (external link).