SECURITY
Jawzjan ALP Seeks Sophisticated Arms to Battle Rebels
Jawzjan: A number of Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel in the Qush Tepa district of northwestern Jawzjan province complained they did not have advanced weapons to thwart militant attacks. Sher Ali, ALP commander in Jarqadoq area of Qush Tepa district, told that they had been fighting against the rebels for the past seven years and had bravely defended the town. Pajhwok
POLITICAL
MOI Responsible to Arrest VP Guards: Chakhansuri
Kabul: A presidential spokesman on Wednesday said the Ministry of Interior (MoI) was duty-bound to act on the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) orders about the arrest of nine security guards of first Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostum. The AGO recently issued arrest warrants for nine Dostum’s guards in connection with kidnapping and sexual assaulting Ahmad Eshchi, a tribal elder in northern Jawzjan province. Pajhwok
Withdraw Forces from Afghanistan, Taliban tell Trump
Kabul: The Taliban on Wednesday asked new US president Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan. In a letter emailed by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid to reporters quoted him as saying: “The war your forces began in Afghanistan has crossed 15 years, it is the longest war in your history which is still prolonging and both sides suffer financial losses and casualties.” Pajhwok
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Pakistan, UK Discuss Peace, Security in Afghanistan
Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday discussed peace and security in Afghanistan and agreed on continuous efforts towards achieving those goals. Advisor to Pakistan prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz received British ambassador to Afghanistan Dominic Jermey in Islamabad, a statement from the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul said. Pajhwok
Charles to Meet Afghan who Thumbed a Lift across Europe
Kabul: During a royal visit to Leicester, the Prince of Wales is all set to meet an Afghan teenager who thumbed a lift across Europe before finding his way to the United Kingdom. The Belfast Telegraph reported on Wednesday Prince Charles would meet Baseer Omarkhil Khan, who reached Britain after a prolonged hitch-hike at the age of 11. Pajhwok
Afghan Forces Increasingly Using Schools as Bases: HRW
Kabul: The influential Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked donor countries to press the Afghan government to prevent the increasing use of schools by government forces in northern Baghlan province. The watchdog in a statement said several policemen were gunned down inside one classroom in a school in Postak bazaar village in Baghlan in 2010 in a Taliban attack. Pajhwok
Appoint Envoy to South Asia, Zardari asks Trump
US President Donald Trump should play a proactive role in bringing closer Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure stability in South Asia, former president Asif Ali Zardari said in an interview with The Washington Times. He further added that that the war on terrorism in both countries was the same. Pajhwok
Political Tension Takes Heavy Toll on Af-Pak Trade
The Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has sharply fallen over the last six months as a result of political tensions and strict border controls, an official says. Afghanistan’s exports to the neighbor slumped by 21.9 percent while imports declined by 14.9 percent during the period, Model Collectorate of Customs chief said. Pajhwok
