RAWALPINDI: While emphasising the need for global convergence on Afghanistan, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa remarked that “peace” in the neighbouring country means “peace in Pakistan”. “Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan,” the army chief told Director to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran for Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Wednesday that it will allow the “transportation of 50,000 tonnes of wheat and lifesaving medicines from India to Afghanistan via Wagah Border” as a “goodwill gesture” to the Afghan people. “As a goodwill gesture towards the brotherly Afghan people, the Government of Pakistan has decided to allow the transportation of 50,000 … Read more
KABUL: At a Kabul market, coal is arriving by the tonne as the winter cold sets in. Even as prices rise, Afghans have a few options but to burn it for heat, creating some of the world’s most dangerous air. “Pollution causes serious respiratory diseases … All Afghans know what coal does,” customer Amanullah Daudzai, dressed … Read more
UNITED NATIONS: A UN agency has warned that Afghanistan’s banking system is on the verge of collapse because of consumers’ inability to repay loans, fewer deposits, and other liquidity problems, leading to a social crisis in an already fragile economy. “Afghanistan’s financial and bank payment systems are in disarray. The bank-run problem must be resolved … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated that his government is willing to allow India to transport wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan after finalising procedural details, Arab News reported. Prime Minister Khan recently assured a ministerial delegation from Afghanistan to consider the transit of Indian wheat on humanitarian grounds. The delegation, which was led by Afghan foreign … Read more
National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday reiterated his call for immediate assistance to avert the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. A six-member US delegation led by Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Congressman Gregory Meeks called on the NSA to discuss Pak-US bilateral relations and the overall situation in Afghanistan. Yusuf stressed that … Read more
KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday exempted the sales tax on the import of fruits from Afghanistan. In this regard, the revenue board issued an SRO 1501 (I)/2021 to implement the decision. According to the notification, the government has decided to exempt the whole sales tax on the import of edible fruits … Read more
RIYADH: Venture Souq, the venture capital firm, has launched the first sector-specific fund focused on fintech in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region, Asharq Business reported. The Middle East and North Africa Fintech Fund I is a $50 million fund that invests in fintech and software as a service startups. It focuses on sub-sectors … Read more
URUMQI: A special freight train loaded with more than 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid materials and daily necessities donated by China departed for Afghanistan on Saturday afternoon. The train is expected to reach its final destination in around 12 days. Carrying 50 containers, the freight train left China via Horgos Port in northwest China’s Xinjiang … Read more
Aqina is a border crossing with rail service connecting Afghanistan to Turkmenistan, and onward to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe. It is an essential trading point linking Afghanistan with the countries to the west. A handful of local businessmen who met to drink tea complained about the worsened business situation. They said their business had … Read more
WASHINGTON: The United States rebuffed an appeal by the Taliban to release Afghan assets frozen after their takeover, saying the new government in Kabul must ‘earn’ legitimacy first. Thomas West, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a tweeted statement that Washington had long made clear that if the Taliban claimed power by military force … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia will evacuate more than 380 Russian and foreign citizens from Afghanistan, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda broadcasting service reported Thursday. “On behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu organized the evacuation of more than 380 citizens from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Ukraine, and Afghanistan from Afghan territory,” it said, … Read more
SYDNEY: Next year’s Twenty20 World Cup will be held across seven venues in Australia, officials confirmed Tuesday, with Sri Lanka and the West Indies forced to play for a place in the Super 12. The tournament, which was supposed to be held Down Under in 2020 but was pushed back two years due to coronavirus, … Read more
LONDON: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Sunday said that she was concerned that the Taliban’s block on girls’ education in Afghanistan will not be temporary, as claimed. Malala, who was shot by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that “I’m afraid that … Read more
KANDAHAR: A small carpeted room serves as a makeshift jail for 12 “criminals” who are awaiting Taliban justice, caught in the legal system which the group is building at the heart of their new Afghan regime. None of the prisoners being held on the ground floor of the Taliban headquarters in Panjwai district in southern … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stressed for continued constructive engagement of the international community in Afghanistan to avert any humanitarian crisis. In his weekly media briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that Pakistan was working closely with the regional countries and members of the international community for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. “We have … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday has said that Afghanistan’s territory will not be used against any other country, including Pakistan. Addressing a function at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, he said that Afghanistan values Pakistan’s cooperation on humanitarian grounds. The Afghan interim foreign minister has also welcomed the … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and his delegation to keep a close watch on anti-peace elements inside and outside Afghanistan. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Thursday, the visiting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi and Foreign Minister Qureshi held … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Seeking assistance from the international community on an emergency basis to avert the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi warned that the war-torn country stood at the brink of an economic collapse. “With international funding dried up, it has become difficult to pay even salaries let alone pursue development projects [in … Read more
KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said Wednesday that the threat posed by the Islamic State group in the country was “more or less under control” despite recent bloody attacks that have killed dozens. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference that IS was “not a great threat”, adding that around 600 members or sympathisers had been … Read more
ISLAMABAD: A week after Pakistan announced its decision to not attend regional security dialogue on Afghanistan to be hosted by India, China too has backed out on Tuesday citing ‘scheduling reasons’. “Due to scheduling reasons, it is inconvenient for China to attend the meeting. We have already given our reply to the Indian side,” Chinese … Read more
WASHINGTON: World Bank President David Malpass indicated Monday that the institution is unlikely to resume direct aid to Afghanistan, after suspending financing at the end of August when the Taliban seized power. “I would not envision us operating inside given the full breakdown” of the economy, he said in a conversation at the Center for … Read more
ABU DHABI: Trent Boult and Tim Southee are New Zealand’s kings of swing, unstarry but deadly with the new ball and looking to inspire the Black Caps to the T20 World Cup title. They face England in Wednesday’s first semi-final in Abu Dhabi where the two veteran seamers will be key to slamming the brakes … Read more
India were eliminated from the semi-final’s race of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup after New Zealand defeated Afghanistan to book their spot in the last four on Sunday. Men-in-Blue entered the tournament as one of the favourites but faced a historic 10-wicket beating against arch-rivals Pakistan, and then an eight-wicket loss against the Black … Read more
SHARJAH: Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez says such is Pakistan’s form at the Twenty20 World Cup they are brimming with confidence and have no preferences as to who they play in the semi-finals. Pakistan have been unstoppable since their historic 10-wicket win over bitter rivals India at the beginning of the campaign. The 2009 champions have gone on … Read more
PARACHINAR: The aid and relief organisations of Pakistan have provided 2.2 tonnes of relief goods, including edibles and medicines to its Afghan brethren through Kharlachi Border in Kurram district. The border authorities said a convoy of 30 truckloads reached the border and handed it over to the Afghan authorities during a documentation signing ceremony. Kurram … Read more
SYDNEY: Australia on Friday postponed its first-ever cricket Test against Afghanistan, after the country’s ruling Taliban regime effectively banned women from playing the sport. Australia’s cricketing authorities said that after consultation with “relevant stakeholders” they decided the men’s Test, to be played in Hobart this month, would not go ahead as planned. After the Taliban ousted Afghanistan’s elected … Read more
ABU DHABI, Nov 4, 2021 (AFP) – Spin wizard Rashid Khan believes more international cricket will help Afghanistan overcome the pressure of facing big teams after they went down to India by 66 runs in the Twenty20 World Cup. But Rashid insists their morale is high ahead of their must-win Super 12 match against New Zealand on Sunday … Read more
