Ariana: Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed at Torkham border crossing on Wednesday, leading to the closure of the crossing, an Afghan official said. Arafat Muhajir, representative of the provincial directorate of information and culture in Torkham, said the clash began after Pakistani forces started establishing a post on Afghan soil. He said the first shot was fired by Pakistani forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Kamal ud-din Behzad Gallery in Herat closed for teaching calligraphy to girls
Khaama: Kamal ud-din Behzad Gallery in Herat, Afghanistan, has been closed by the Department of Promotion and Virtue of Taliban due to teaching calligraphy to two young girls, sources said. Officials at the Behzad Gallery in Herat have told the media outlets that the gallery’s door has been shut down by the Taliban’s Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after 40 years of operation. Jalil Ahmad Tawana, the head of the Calligraphers Association in Herat province, has also confirmed this incident. Click here to read more (external link).
Karzai’s Relatives Confirm Ban On His Travel Abroad
Hamid Karzai
Tolo News: Former president Hamid Karzai’s relatives confirmed there is a ban on Karzai’s travel abroad. “Karzai had received official invitations from three countries when he returned to Afghanistan from England, but he was not allowed to travel. As far as internal visits are concerned, Afghans come daily and their documents are checked by the security forces, then they are allowed to enter,” said Shahzada Masoud, a relative of Karzai. Click here to read more (external link).
Sri Lanka survive Afghanistan scare to reach Asia Cup Super Fours
Ariana: Title-holders Sri Lanka outlasted a rampaging Afghanistan by just two runs in a dramatic finish to reach the Asia Cup Super Four stage on Tuesday. Needing to overhaul a target of 292 in 37.1 overs to oust Sri Lanka on net run-rate, Afghanistan fell agonizingly short as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out with three needed from the first ball of the 38th over, AFP reported. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Assault Residents and Torch Their Motorcycles in Ghor Province
8am: In a recent incident, Taliban fighters carried out a violent attack in Ghor Province, brutally assaulting several residents and setting their motorcycles ablaze, as reported by local sources. One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the Taliban fighters had been personally gathering yam plants from the mountains and profiting from their sale. However, this activity has been met with resistance from the local residents, resulting in confrontations and violence against the populace. Yam, a plant commonly found in the mountainous terrain of Ghor Province, has been exploited by the Taliban in recent years to manufacture a type of methamphetamine known as “shisha.” Click here to read more (external link).
UN Security Council: The Taliban Are Interfering in Humanitarian Activities
8am: According to the report, the Taliban have interfered in humanitarian activities and have also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities. Delays in signing agreements and interference in staff hiring are among the factors contributing to the suspension of humanitarian activities by aid organizations. The report indicates that 95% of the Taliban’s restrictions have been motivated by gender considerations, resulting in the temporary suspension of eight programs. The Taliban’s interference and obstruction of humanitarian aid have been among the major concerns of the global community in the past two years. Before the Security Council report, the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) had expressed concerns about the level of Taliban interference in the distribution of humanitarian aid and the United Nations’ inability to protect its programs. SIGAR stated that the Taliban have diverted humanitarian aid in Afghanistan for their own benefit. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – September 5, 2023
Afghanistan’s former IEC chief returns home after three year absence
Yousuf Nuristani
Ariana: Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani, the former head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), returned to Kabul on Tuesday, the IEA’s [Taliban] contact commission said. In 2018, Youssef Nooristani was convicted of fraud and concealment of money by an American court. He was sentenced to six months house arrest by a federal court judge in the United States for the crime of theft from public funds, and was under supervision for three years. Click here to read more (external link).
Ministry: Afghan Exports to Pakistan Have Decreased
Tolo News: Officials of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that exports to Pakistan have decreased by $66 million compared to last year. The State Bank of Pakistan also reported that in July, Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan increased by 32%, but imports from Afghanistan to Pakistan decreased by 76%. “Exports have decreased, the reason is that a good product that we used to export was coal. The Islamic Emirate has raised the tariff on coal for a certain time, which caused the export to decrease,” said Shamsul Haq Shams, an economist. Click here to read more (external link).
Pakistani PM Claims Weapons Left Behind In Afghanistan Add To Security Threats
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal
September 4, 2023
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister says that weapons and military equipment left behind by U.S. and other foreign forces in Afghanistan are being used against Pakistan, worsening the security situation in the country.
Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on September 4 that many thought that the situation in Pakistan would improve after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, but instead it has worsened.
Kakar claimed the reason for the insecurity is the seizure by various groups of weapons left behind in the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces two years ago.
“Weapons and military equipment in Afghanistan were left unmanaged after the withdrawal of the United States and its allies,” Kakar said, adding that these weapons were dangerous for Pakistan, Central Asia, and Iran.
The equipment includes modern weapons such as night binoculars, he said, speaking to a select group of journalists at his office in Islamabad.
The Taliban seized U.S.-supplied guns, ammunition, helicopters, and other modern military equipment from Afghan forces who surrendered. There is no definite information on how much U.S. equipment was left behind.
Kakar did not provide any evidence to support his allegation or directly link the Afghan Taliban to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TPP). He said there was a need to adopt a “coordinated approach” to tackling the challenge of the leftover equipment.
Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, former Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and other Pakistani officials have accused militants of traveling from Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The TPP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has said that its militants are operating from tribal areas. The group says that Pakistani officials are blaming Afghanistan to cover up their failures.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, said in an interview with Al-Arabia TV last week that he was committed to regional security. He previously called on Pakistan to end the conflict with the TTP through negotiations.
With reporting by AP
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.
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