LAST 24 HOURS
TALIBAN BLOCK A PAKISTANI MEDICAL RELIEF FLIGHT FROM ASSISTING VICTIMS OF THE HERAT CATASTROPHE – A medical team of Pakistani doctors was denied entry into Herat’s airport either yesterday or on Monday. The team had volunteered to support the victims of the earthquakes and was comprised of general surgeons, nurses, pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, and paramedics. A source in Kandahar said the order to bar their entry came from Kabul and was made after deliberations with Taliban members of Foreign Affairs and the Interior Ministry. The medical team was disallowed entry over the impasse with Pakistan’s decision to deport over a million Afghan refugees. If true, the move will likely be seen as unusual for a regime that has continually reminded those in the international community that humanitarian aid should not be influenced by politics. The Taliban had yet to comment on the matter as of publication.
PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL AIRLINES MAY BE FORCED TO SUSPEND FLIGHTS – Pakistan International Airlines is facing difficult times due to a recently imposed suspension of fuel from the Pakistan State Oil corporation over unpaid fuel receipts. The halt in the fuel supply is expected to affect flights from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar and all travelers have been urged to check on the status of any flights they have scheduled in the coming days as cancellations are expected. A PIA spokesman said that international and regional flights have not been affected so far but travel agents are concerned that the crisis will affect those flights soon.
HARDLINERS UPSET WTIH NOBEL LAUREATE MALALA YOUSAFZAI FOR COMMENTS MADE ABOUT ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT – The Nobel laureate called for an immediate de-escalation of the fighting in Gaza and a ceasefire to save innocent lives. Many attacked her on social media for the statement and said she had failed to condemn Israel for the strikes in Ghaza. Many of those critical of her words drew a sharp contrast between her perceived stance on the conflict and other comments she has made in support of Ukraine.
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL EXTENDS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR’S ROLE FOR ANOTHER YEAR – The resolution, which Pakistan and China refused to endorse, also stipulated that an analysis be undertaken of the human rights abuses recorded in the country to date and a plan to address those violations be formulated. Pakistan said that it could not support the decision because of the ‘very narrow view’ taken by the UN of the situation and the perceived ‘disengagement approach’ that he says the international community has adopted about the Taliban.
8 FEMALE STUDENTS IN TAKHAR REPORTEDLY POISONED – 8 girls, attending the Ammar Institute in Taleqan City were sent to a local hospital after complaining of diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and shortness of breath. While no definitive evidence the girls were poisoned has been presented, local sources told AMU TV that they were sure the girls had been poisoned while in the school dormitory. As of publication, 6 of the girls remained under observation in the Provincial hospital and 2 had been released.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE PTI PARTY PROTESTS PLANNED FOR THE END OF THE WEEK IN ISLAMABAD – The PTI party chief in Islamabad said the gathering on Friday was to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Sources in the security forces said they are concerned it may be a ruse to protest the treatment of the former Prime Minister and that if permission is granted for the assembly, they intend to form a tight security cordon around the area where the group will gather. In Pakistani’s heightened security state, any such gatherings could easily turn violent, and at-risk Afghans are urged to avoid the protest should it be allowed to proceed.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Several ‘warnings’ were traded yesterday concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict. Iran warned Israel of potential consequences should it continue an ‘apocalyptic war’, and the US president warned Iran to be ‘careful’. Lots of warnings going around.
Amid all the chaos surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict, the leading reform-oriented political cleric in Iran urged the government to take a more cautious approach towards Israel.
US Senators propose a bill that would halt the disbursement of the 6BN dollars of frozen Iranian funds until it can be proven that the government had no involvement in the Hamas attacks.
PAKISTAN
A pair of gunmen opened fire in a Mosque in Eastern Pakistan’s Daska on Wednesday and killed 2 worshippers, one of whom was said to be an aid to an anti-Indian terrorist leader. The gunmen fled the scene after the incident and remain at large.
PTI party leaders called for a peaceful demonstration on Friday to express support for the Palestinians. The no-objection certificate was filed by the PTI General Secretary of the Islamabad Region and the demonstration is expected to take place in front of the National Press Club.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
Pressuring The Taliban: Ensuring Women’s Right To Education In Afghanistan
By Anwar Iqbal - EurAsia Review
In the wake of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the world faces a critical moral and ethical challenge. While the international community grapples with various aspects of the Taliban’s rule, one fundamental issue stands out: the urgent need to pressurize the Taliban to allow women’s access to education. This piece discusses the vital role education plays in the lives of women and society at large, examines the Taliban’s historical stance on women’s education, and discusses why the world must take a collective stand to ensure that Afghan women can exercise their right to education.
AFGHAN NEWS
Latest Earthquake in Herat Severely Damaged More Than 20 Villages
By Nasir Ahmad Salehi - TOLO News
Over twenty villages in several districts of Herat province have been seriously damaged in three recent strong earthquakes on in…
Taliban blocks Pakistani Medical Plane’s aid to Herat earthquake victims
By AMU TV
A team of ten Pakistani doctors was denied entry to Herat Airport by the Taliban, preventing them from providing crucial medical assistance to earthquake victims in the…
Burying their loved ones: earthquake survivors in Afghanistan
By South Carolina Now
More than 2000 people have been reported dead since a 6.3 magnitude quake hit western Afghanistan on…
REGIONAL NEWS
Stanikzai: Pakistan Deporting Afghans to Pressure Islamic Emirate
By Gulalai Hakim - TOLO News
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, referring to the recent situation of migrants and their treatment in Pakistan, said that Islamabad deports Afghan migrants to put…
Pakistan’s FM expresses concerns about Afghanistan in ECO Meeting
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, highlighted on Tuesday that although the war in Afghanistan has concluded and security has improved, there remains inadequate progress in…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
SAS conducted campaign of murder against Afghan civilians while officials covered it up, probe told
By ITV News
The independent inquiry is set to examine whether UK special forces had a policy of executing males of "fighting age" who posed no threat in Afghanistan between…
Afghan UN envoy calls for serious attention to Afghan migrant situation
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Mr Faieq voiced his concerns about the situation of Afghan migrants in neighbouring countries during Wednesday’s United Nations session on growth and the protection of…
New UNHRC resolution to address humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
By AMU TV
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday adopted a new resolution on Afghanistan, which renews the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan for…
THE DAILY WTF
International Day of the Girl Child goes by unnoticed in Afghanistan
By AMU TV
International Day of the Girl Child, a global observance day declared by the United Nations, meant very little to millions of teenage girls in Afghanistan this year as they continue to be…
“Truly tragic.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 75.42 AFN (as of 12 OCT 2023)