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IEC Pledges Transparent Election as Japan Pledges $8.6mln
June 25, 2012
KABUL - Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) pledged on Sunday to ensure Afghanistan's upcoming presidential election will be a transparent and democratic process in response to Japan's donation of $8.6 million.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, IEC Chairman Fazal Ahmad Manawi said that the no one will be allowed to interfere in the decision of the commission.
"The election is a political process; anyone will try to interfere in order to win the election. We provide the opportunity for ...
Zakhilwal is a Lair: Sherzai
June 25, 2012
JALALABAD - Nangarhar governor on Saturday strongly criticized Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal for not honoring his repeated promises to start construction works on two key highway projects in the eastern province.
Addressing participants at a workshop on economic development in ...
President Hamid Karzai: Pak, Afghanistan Should Jointly Combat Terrorism
June 25, 2012
KABUL - While congratulating Pakistan's new prime minister Raja Pravez Ashraf, President Hamid Karzai said both nations should jointly combat terrorism -- a bane to Afghanistan and Pakistan -- and work towards prosperity.
Karzai congratulated Ashraf on behalf of the government and Afghans, after he was chosen as the new prime minister on Saturday, said a ...
Marshal Fahim Chairs CM Law Committee Meeting
June 25, 2012
KABUL - Marshal Mohammad Qaseem Fahim first vice president chaired the meeting of the CM law committee yesterday. As per the agenda the draft law of provincial councils, law on government issues, the law on atomic energy and the amendment to the ...
Delegation Sent to Investigate Sar-E-Pul Oil Dispute
June 25, 2012
KABUL - A delegation comprised of personnel from Afghanistan's intelligence agency and the Attorney General's Office is heading to northern Sar-e-Pul province to investigate allegations of Abdul Rashid Dostum preventing extraction at an oil basin, officials said ...
Karzai should be Committed to Fight Corruption: Lodin
June 24, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai should act seriously against corruption in order to provide a better life for Afghan people, the country's anti-corruption head said Saturday.
Head of High Office of Oversight and Anti Corruption Azizullah Lodin said in an exclusive interview with Tolonews that he hopes Karzai will stand by his promise to fight corruption seriously.
"I am sure that as President Karzai says, he will not allow land grabbing any more, he will not allow bribery any more. I hope he's serious about his statements," Lodin said, adding that Karzai's ...
Attack on Qargha Inhumane, Shows Taliban Weakness
June 24, 2012
KABUL - The reaction in Kabul to the attack on the lakeside hotel outside the city showed a growing perception that the Taliban was weakening, according to commentators.
At least 20 people were killed during a large-scale insurgent attack on the Lake Qargha hotel launched late Thursday night which continued ...
100 Female School Students Poisoned
June 24, 2012
KABUL - As many as 100 female students are believed to have been poisoned in Afghanistan's northern Sar-e-Pul province on Saturday, a provincial health official said.
Head of Sar-e-Pul Public Health department Mohammad Amin Altin said the reason behind the poisoning at the Emam Yahya school is still unclear, but the scores ...
Taliban Shadow District Chief Held in Bamyan
June 24, 2012
BAMYAN CITY - A Taliban-designated district chief has been arrested and some documents and explosives were recovered from him in central Bamyan province, an official said on Saturday.
Mullah Abdul Kabir, the Taliban shadow district chief for Saighan, was arrested two days after he planted a roadside bomb to target the ...
Karzai for Reforms in University Entry Test
June 24, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai on Saturday called for reforms in university entry test to bring them at par with international standards.
The current entry test called Kankor was based on old methods that made it difficult for even talented student to pass, depriving them of ...
Karzai Decides to Confront Graft
June 23, 2012
KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Thursday for the country's parliament to fight the graft and nepotism that is eroding international confidence in his government ahead of a July meeting with donors in Tokyo aimed at securing extra aid.
Karzai, addressing a specially convened parliamentary session aimed at confronting political opponents and the myriad challenges facing the country before the end-2014 departure of NATO combat troops, stressed the need for greater unity.
"Nepotism, tribalism, partisanship, nationalism are all government ...
Taliban’s Civilian Massacre War Crime: AI
June 23, 2012
KABUL - Amnesty International has condemned the Taliban attack on a Qargha resort outside Kabul saying it shows their disregard for civilian life.
In a statement, Amnesty International said Taliban's repeated brazen attacks targeting civilians show an utter disregard for human life and may amount to war crimes which should be investigated and prosecuted by ...
US, Australia Join Forces on Key Rule of Law Program in Afghanistan
June 23, 2012
KABUL - U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan C. Crocker and Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan Paul Foley signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on the deployment of Australian Justice Advisers to the Justice Center in Parwan (JCIP), Afghanistan. The Australian Justice Advisers, provided through the Australian Civilian Corps, will assist ...
Small US Force in Afghanistan Post 2014: Dempsey
June 23, 2012
WASHINGTON - The United States is unlikely to have a military presence in Afghanistan post 2014, a top Pentagon commander said, even as negotiations on the issue are ongoing with President Hamid Karzai's government.
"The security partnership agreement calls for a long-term ...
Afghans A Potent Strike Force: British Commander
June 23, 2012
WASHINGTON - A top British military commander based in Afghanistan had rated highly about Afghan Security Forces capability in conducting operations against the enemy and said the transition is on track.
"The Afghans are more than capable and more than content to deal ...
Russia Ratifies Deal with Italy on Afghan Transit for NATO Mission
June 23, 2012
MOSCOW – Russia's parliament has ratified an agreement with Italy that allows it to transport troops and cargo to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The deal approved by the lower house Friday follows similar agreements with the U.S., Germany and France that allowed them to use air corridors ...
US Should Help to Extradite Fetrat Back to Kabul
June 23, 2012
KABUL - We should put pressure on the US to extradite former Central Bank Governor Abdul Qadir Fitrat back to Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Afghan lawmakers Thursday.
He also called on Afghan parliamentarians and the international ...
Women’s Shelters Vital: UNAMA
June 21, 2012
KABUL - The United Nations said on Wednesday that women' shelters in Afghanistan were vital as they provided safe homes for those in distress and called on the authorities to protect women from violence.
A statement from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the shelters could help vulnerable Afghan women and girls, especially victims of domestic abuse and other violence.
"These shelters are an essential, life-saving service and play a critical role in the legal framework for eliminating violence against ...
MTN Signs 3G License Agreement
June 21, 2012
KABUL - MTN Afghanistan finalized agreement with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) to provide 3rd Generation services in the Afghanistan market. The service agreement was signed by the Chairman of Afghanistan Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (ATRA), Abdul Wakil Shergul and MTN Afghanistan's CEO, Mr. ...
Water Reform Facing Implementation Gap: AREU
June 21, 2012
KABUL - Afghanistan's Water Law formally introduced in 2009 with a series of "good" water governance concepts as part of a wider attempt to reform the country's water sector. These included integrated water resource management, river basin management and participation in decentralized decision-making via Multi-Stakeholder Platforms ...
US to Donate 146 Warplanes to AAF: MoD
June 21, 2012
KABUL - The United States government has decided to give 146 planes to Afghan Air Force (AAF) by 2016, a spokesman for Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Wednesday.
The ministry praised the decision adding that more warplanes should be given to Afghanistan in order to protect the country from any kind ...
Drug Mafias Should be Unmasked: Khalili
June 21, 2012
KABUL - Second Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili on Wednesday underlined the imperative of stepped-up efforts at arresting drug lords in the country, the world's biggest opium producer.
On World Drug Day, Khalili told a gathering in Kabul that since the revenue from narcotics fuelled terrorism in the country, the challenge ...
CJ Calls for Anti-Graft Drive, Justice Dispensation
June 21, 2012
KABUL – Chief Justice (CJ) on Wednesday called for the eradication of corruption from government departments, particularly judicial organs, calling the scourge a stain on their reputation.
Professor Abdul Salam Azimi told graduating judges at the Supreme Court in Kabul to prioritize dispensation of justice, good behavior ...
Taliban Accused of Burning Quran, Woman
June 21, 2012
GHAZNI CITY - Officials said the Taliban set fire a civilian house in the Andar district of southern Ghazni province, torching some copies of the Holy Quran. A 65-year-old woman reportedly sustained injuries in the blaze.
Resident Mullah Abdul Salam's residence was set on fire by Afghan and ...
Karzai Fires Academy of Sciences Chief, Staffers on Offending Hazaras
June 20, 2012
KABUL - President Karzai on Tuesday dismissed the Chief of Afghanistan Academy of Sciences and it's three other staffers.
In the Judicial and Administrative Meeting at the President Palace yesterday, the publication of Ethnography Atlas of Ethnic Groups in Afghanistan that includes outrageous claims about Hazaras were discussed. President Karzai came up with severe criticism of the negligence in the publication and took necessary action.
Recently, the Academy of Sciences has published a book titled ...
Afghanistan Down in Failed States Index Ranks
June 20, 2012
KABUL - Afghanistan has moved down the ranks in the Failed States Index, indicating a slender gain for the conflict-battered country, a Washington DC-based organization said on Tuesday.
In the eighth edition of its annual index, the non-profit Fund for ...
Amanullah’s Daughter Receives Award
June 20, 2012
KABUL - Former princess Hindia, the daughter of King Amanullah Khan, was given the Radio Liberty's Person of the Year Award on Tuesday.
The 83 years old has devoted more than 30 years of her life to humanitarian work for orphaned children and other needy people in ...
We can’t Register Powerful Figures’ Assets: Lodin
June 20, 2012
KABUL CITY - The High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption (HOOAC) chief on Monday acknowledged its inability to register the assets of powerful figures.
Azizullah Lodin told a meeting aimed at recording the assets of the Kabul governor, district chiefs and other senior officials: "Our ...
India Playing Huge Role in Afghanistan: US
June 20, 2012
WASHINGTON - Praising New Delhi's effort at achieving security, stability and economic development in Afghanistan, the Obama administration on Monday acknowledged India was playing a "huge role" in the war-torn country.
"India is playing a huge role," the State Department ...
Etisalat Afghanistan Holds Annual Quran Recitation Competition
June 20, 2012
Kabul - Etisalat Afghanistan, the first company to launch 3.75G services in Afghanistan has held Annual Quran Recitation Competition 2012. Etisalat Afghanistan is organizing the Quran Recitation Competition for the 5th year running in collaboration with Ministry of Hajj & Awqaf and Ministry of Information and Culture, Government of ...
Afghan Problems Need Regional Approach: ISAF
June 19, 2012
KABUL - As Taliban are trying to recruit Uzbek, Tajik and Pakistani fighters so, the problem of Afghanistan needs a regional approach, ISAF spokesman said Tuesday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kabul, General Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for ISAF said that it's important to seek a regional approach for Afghanistan to tackle the issue of Taliban.
"They will take anybody; they will take Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Pakistanis and recruit them to their ranks if they have a chance that is ...
NATO Expects Afghan Aid Pledges in Tokyo
June 19, 2012
KABUL - NATO Senior Civilian Representative Ambassador Simon Gass on Monday welcomed the commitments held out by last week's Heart of Asia conference in Kabul.
The participants agreed on confidence-building measures in areas such as infrastructure development, education, commercial links, disaster ...
Afghan Team in India to Study Polio Eradication
June 19, 2012
MARADABAD - A five-member delegation from Afghanistan was recently on a visit to Moradabad to study the micro-methods for tackling polio in the area.
Carmen Garigoz Perez, the head of the Afghan delegation, was impressed with the "community engagement, human engagement, and ...
Etisalat 3G Becomes Operational in Jalalabad
June 19, 2012
ALALABAD - Etisalat Afghanistan, the fastest growing telecom company in Afghanistan has launched 3.75G services in Jalalabad.
Etisalat Afghanistan is part of Etisalat Group, one of the world's fastest-growing telecom groups, rapidly expanding across Asia and Africa and is the only telecom company to launch Third- generation (3G) ...
UNODC: Poppy Cultivation Downs 40% in Afghanistan
June 19, 2012
KABUL - Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has declined 40% over the course of past four years as ISAF and government forces have secured key towns and village and ramped up eradication, UN anti drug official said.
This year farmers grew poppy on about 143,000 acres in Helmand