The Guardian (UK): From civil servants, teachers and doctors to journalists and business owners, loss of female workers under the Taliban has already cost the economy $1bn – A gynaecologist from Herat, who wishes to be identified only as Dr Maryam, says: “Even before this decree, they made hijab mandatory for women doctors, and require female surgeons to wear long sleeves, and a long scarf, even during surgery. It affects the way they work and is not safe.” Armed Taliban officials often force themselves into the hospital, she adds, especially during night shifts, to “monitor the work” of the female doctors and nurses. “They had also briefly insisted on women doctors having their mahram [male guardian] with them at all times, which is not practical especially on a women’s ward.” Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 16, 2022
Suicide Attempts, Mostly Women, Rise in Badakhshan
Tolo News: Health officials in Badakhshan province say that around 30 people who attempted to commit suicide have been brought to the hospital in the past three months. Homayoun Forootan, head of the Badakhshan Provincial Hospital, added that most of the patients are women. Two have died and others have been rescued. “In total, there have been 29 cases of violence [attempted suicide] in the last three months, of which 27 are women and two are men,” he said. According to Forootan, domestic violence and poverty are the main causes of these incidents. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan’s Wildlife Crisis
File photo
8am: Hunting wild animals has a long history among the people of Afghanistan. The residents in remote areas usually do it for entertainment and fun. There is no legal mechanism defined for wildlife projection, providing the hunters with an opportunity to hunt animals without facing any legal consequences. The issue of wildlife hunting has never attracted the attention of animal welfare organizations, both inside Afghanistan and abroad. Afghanistan’s geography, 70% of which is mountainous and uncultivable, is home to hundreds of rare wildlife species. These include rare snow leopards with a worldwide population of just between 3,000 and 7,000, gray wolves, rare mountain deer, snakes, coyotes and so on. Click here to read more (external link).
Assassination Plot Claim Prompts Pakistan to Boost Security for Ex-PM Khan
Imran Khan
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
May 16, 2022
Pakistan has ordered enhanced personal security for former prime minister Imran Khan, a day after he repeated his claim at a massive rally that there was a plot to assassinate him.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said Monday he had directed federal and provincial authorities to provide “foolproof security” to his predecessor during his appearances at public rallies and gatherings.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has organized massive anti-government rallies across the country since early last month when the cricketer-turned-politician was ousted in an opposition-led parliamentary no-confidence vote and replaced by Sharif.
“A plot is being hatched against me in Pakistan and abroad. They are plotting to kill Imran Khan,” the former prime minister told a rally in the central city, Faisalabad, on Sunday night.
“I have recorded a video message and kept it in a safe place. If something happens to me, God forbid, this video will be made public, where I have exposed everyone involved in the plot,” Khan said without elaborating.
The deposed prime minister has been demanding new elections, accusing the United States of conspiring with his political opponents to bring down his nearly four-year-old government.
Khan levelled the allegations while he was in office, citing a ciphered message from the then-Pakistani ambassador in Washington, Asad Majid Khan. The allegations form a central part of speeches Khan has made at his recent public rallies.
The deposed leader maintains he was punished for pursuing an independent foreign policy and ignoring Washington’s advice against visiting Russia. Khan met President Vladimir Putin on February 24, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
Washington has persistently rejected the charges as not true and reiterated its stance last week.
“We are not going to let propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation – lies – get in the way of any bilateral relationship we have, including with the bilateral relationship we have with Pakistan, one we value,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told a regular news conference last week.
Sharif and his nascent government also vehemently deny Khan’s foreign conspiracy charges as politically motivated.
Khan has vowed to gather hundreds of thousands of people in the national capital, Islamabad, later this month for a sit-in protest until fresh elections are announced.
The political uncertainty has led stocks to tumble. The Pakistani rupee is at a record low and foreign exchange reserves have rapidly depleted, adding pressure on the beleaguered Sharif government, a coalition of political parties.
Nine months of Taliban’s rule: 80.9% of the cabinet combination and governors are Pashtuns and 98.4% of them are Taliban members, there is no woman and Hazara
Aamaj: Nine months after Taliban’s domination the latest survey of Aamaj News shows that 82.7% of the Taliban’s cabinet members are Pashtuns and 96.5% of them are their own members. According to this survey 79.4% of governors are Pashtuns and 100% of them are Taliban members. There are 6.8% Tajiks, 6.8% Uzbeks, and 3.4% Nuristanis in Taliban’s cabinet. Click here to read more (external link).
Journalists Claim Restrictions on Covering Security Incidents
Tolo News: Jawad Etimad, a journalist, said he was arrested while covering a blast in PD5 of Kabul city. Etimad said he spent two days detained by the Islamic Emirate. Jawad Etimad is working for an online media outlet. “They prevented me from making footage. They beat me with kicks and punches. And then they arrested me,” he said. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – May 15, 2022
Taliban Rebels Kill 3 Civilians in Andarab Baghlan
8am: As the killings of innocent civilians continue in Baghlan, Takhar, and Panjshir provinces, the Taliban rebels shot dead 3 more civilians in Andarab Baghlan province last night after severely torturing them. According to sources, the victims’ names are Hassan, Abdul Ghani, and Mujahid. Sources have confirmed that the victims had no affiliation with the National Resistance Front. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Taliban: Over 130,000 Soldiers Recruited
Taliban fighters (file photo)
Tolo News: “More than 130,000 people have been registered and this process will continue. With the completion of registration, the Afghans will see an independent, well-formed and committed military who will provide security and defend the Afghan soil and borders,” said Inayatullah Khwarazami, a spokesman for the MoD. However, the uniform for the new troops has yet to be determined. Click here to read more (external link).