Hundreds-of-thousands of families have mourned the loss of loved ones killed in Afghanistan’s 19-year-long conflict. But there is one war widow in the country’s northeastern Kunar Province who carries an especially heavy burden of grief. Taj Bibi has had three husbands killed in battle. All of them were brothers who served the Afghan National Army.
1TV: Cheryl Bernard (wife of Zalmay Khalilzad) said Afghan women need to recognize that the Taliban is not their only or worst problem. Deep-seated cultural values and traditions, such as the so-called Pashtun “honor code,” are far more devastating to women’s lives, and most of these are clearly un-Islamic or even anti-Islamic, she said. Cheryl
Tolo News: The population of Barmal is Pashtun, predominantly from the Kharoti and Wazir tribes. Barmal lies in an area of particularly rugged terrain. Barmal District Governor Rahmatullah said the issue is “concerning” and that it requires a “thorough investigation”. Click here to read more (external link). Related Pakistani Visa Can be Acquired with $200 in
The Independent (UK): A large number of Pashtun politicians, tribal chiefs and intellectuals are against the Taliban, which is one of its biggest weaknesses… The central, conservative ideology of the Taliban is also responsible for its failure, as it is unacceptable for most Afghans, particularly the literate population…The media has played a key role in highlighting the
Eisa Khan Ayoobi via Al Jazeera: The NUG is struggling with containing the Taliban and addressing internal divisions – [Ghani’s] intra-Pashtun clan politics seems to have made reaching out to the Taliban more difficult. The Taliban leadership are Durrani Pashtun from Kandahar who take pride in being the descendants of “conventional” Afghan rulers like Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Associated Press: In the past, Khalilzad has called on the U.S. to declare Pakistan a terrorist state, saying it harbors insurgents. The Trump administration has embraced a similar position, recently suspending $300 million in aid to Pakistan, saying it isn’t doing enough to eliminate Taliban safe havens on its territory. Click here to read more (external
IANS: The moment is laden with irony for President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul. The emergence of a Pathan in Islamabad should have provided him with comfort. Instead he is having kittens: the Pathan on the other side has an agenda which is totally at cross purposes with Ghani’s. Imran’s agenda would boost his popularity in the
Tolo News: Former Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdul Razaq Wahidi on Monday appeared before a special tribunal after being accused of corruption and misuse of authority. The special tribunal is expected to determine its findings soon but no date has been set for its final verdict. Monday’s hearing was however adjourned to Friday. Wahidi
Ariana: The Afghan lower house of parliament session on Wednesday ended without any result after some parliamentarians verbally and physically attacked Abdul Latif Pedram, a member of parliament representing Badakhshan province. The confrontation erupted after MP Pedram criticized the government for dividing Ghazni province into three electoral constituencies, saying the government is acting biased in order to
Press TV June 6, 2018 Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region have expanded a 24-hour curfew to avert further clashes between tribesmen and militants. An unnamed senior government official in the city of Peshawar said on Wednesday that the curfew had been “tightened and extended” to the entire South Waziristan region along the Afghan border.