8am: According to the sources, Gholam Hussain, a highly respected figure from the village of Paroshan in the Balkhab district, fell victim to the Taliban members’ brutal act on the night of Wednesday night, June 21. Confirming the incident, local Taliban officials in Sar-e Pul have announced the arrest of one of their fighters, who stands accused of the murder of Gholam Hussain. The merciless killing of innocent civilians by Taliban fighters has regrettably become an all-too-familiar occurrence. Such acts of violence have been previously perpetrated under various pretexts by the Taliban, posing a grave threat to the lives and security of the country’s citizens. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 22, 2023
Afghanistan Again Becomes Breeding Ground For Terrorism: Vladimir Voronkov
Khaama: According to the UN under Secretary General Vladimir Voronkov, Afghanistan has again become a haven for terrorists. On Wednesday, Voronkov was addressing a conference on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization counter-terrorism convention organized by Russian and Chinese missions. “The document is rather profound and informative;’ effectively shows that Afghanistan is once again slowly becoming one of the most important, or maybe even the most crucial epicentre of the spread of terrorism. Despite all promises, all loud statements, the facts prove otherwise,” he added. He also emphasized that the current regime of Kabul is “unable or unwilling to reduce the terrorist threat.” Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Nawzad District in Helmand Faces Lack of Water: Residents
Tolo News: Residents of Nawzad district in Helmand province said that the continuation of life in some villages of the district has become difficult due to recent wars and drought, which has forced them to leave their areas. Residents of this district added that they face many challenges and that the current government should address their problems. Hedaytullah, a Nawzad district resident, said that due to the lack of water in the district, they have to leave their district. Click here to read more (external link).
UN: Taliban Give No Assurances on Lifting Restrictions on Afghan Women
Margaret Besheer
VOA News
June 21, 2023
The United Nation’s top official in Afghanistan said Wednesday there have been no assurances from the Taliban that they will lift their “punishing restrictions” on the country’s female population, placing a “question mark” over U.N. activities in the country.
“We have been given no explanations by the de facto authorities for this ban, and no assurance that it will be lifted,” Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
On April 5, the Taliban verbally informed the United Nations that an existing ban on women working for humanitarian organizations had been extended to include the United Nations. About 400 Afghan women work for the U.N. in the country.
Since then, the U.N. has ordered its female staff to work from home and for non-essential male staffers to also work remotely.
“We are steadfast — female national staff will not be replaced by male national staff as some de facto authorities have suggested,” Otunbayeva said.
The Security Council condemned the Taliban’s edict and called for its reversal in a resolution adopted unanimously on April 27.
The Taliban has been unmoved. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada directed government spokespersons this month to emphasize the enforcement of Islamic law in their statements.
“The United States and the United Nations have held the entire world hostage, and nothing moves without their dictation,” he told a meeting in the southern city of Kandahar, which is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. “The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] effectively controls all parts of Afghanistan, but non-Muslim and even Islamic countries refuse to recognize it.”
Otunbayeva said the Taliban wants international recognition, but that means fulfilling responsibilities under the U.N. Charter, not working against its values.
“In my regular discussions with the de facto authorities, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls,” she said. “We have conveyed to them that as long as these decrees are in place it is nearly impossible that their government will be recognized by members of the international community.”
She said the bans, which include earlier ones preventing girls attending secondary schools and universities, visiting parks and gyms, and restricting their movements outside their homes, have taken a toll on women’s mental and physical health.
Otunbayeva urged the Taliban to lift the restrictions so the U.N. can continue its full support to the Afghan people, more than 28 million of whom require some form of humanitarian assistance.
Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report.
Forcefully Displacing, Relocating Ethnic Groups Should be Stopped in Afghanistan: CSTO
Khaama: The foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) demanded that the forced displacement and relocation of ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan should be stopped. After the return of the Taliban to power, reports emerged that forced displacement of Tajiks, Hazaras, Turkmen and Uzbeks took place in different parts of Afghanistan. In the recent past, several families from Pakistan’s tribal areas were transferred to northern Takhar province according to sources. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan’s opium tragedy persists despite Taliban cultivation ban
NIKKEI: The increasing number of addicts in Afghanistan shows how opium and heroin have a strong and corrosive impact on families. Husbands get their wives addicted, and mothers often expose their children to opium’s harmful effects. This happens when mothers use opium while pregnant, expose their children to opium smoke, or use opium to calm them when they misbehave or are hungry. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan envoy in Pakistan says UNHCR not interested in solving refugees’ issue
Ariana: UNHCR has not taken any cooperative and beneficial measures to solve the problems of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the Afghan envoy in Islamabad said on Tuesday. Acting Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shekib, said in a video message on the occasion of World Refugees Day, that Pakistani police are harassing and capturing Afghans under various pretexts. Click here to read more (external link).
The Taliban Interference Hinders Free Eye Treatment in Badghis Province
8am: A team of doctors traveled to the remote province of Badghis to provide free treatment and services to eye patients. These doctors, supported by Turkey and coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health, were expected to examine around 200 patients daily at Qala-e-Naw City’s provincial hospital and perform surgeries on approximately 25 individuals. While the residents initially welcomed the arrival of these doctors, the Taliban later impeded their activities. Sources in Badghis province confirm that the doctors came to provide free treatment, but their work has been halted due to the Taliban’s opposition, citing the absence of a formal agreement. Click here to read more (external link).