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The Grand Turk
US delegation holds talks with Afghanistan’s former leaders in Turkey
2025-02-05
[KhaamaPress] Members of the High Council of National Resistance® for the Salvation of Afghanistan, composed of key leaders from the former government, have stated that they met with an American delegation.

Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, told Voice of America on Tuesday, February 4, that several members of the High Council of Resistance®, including himself, met with a delegation sent by the Global Peace Operations Initiative.

According to him, the American delegation visited them around two days ago to discuss issues related to Afghanistan. The delegation was sent by the Global Peace Operations Initiative for this purpose.

The leader of the Islamic Unity Party added that several members of the High Council of Resistance® for the Salvation of Afghanistan, including himself and Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
, the leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, attended the meeting with the American delegation.

He also mentioned that senior advisors from the Global Peace Operations Initiative were part of the delegation, but he did not provide any details regarding the specific topics discussed during their meeting.

Reports suggested that the group had met with a Pak delegation, but Mr. Mohaqiq, in an interview with Voice of America, firmly denied any such meeting between the members of the High Council of Resistance® and the Pak delegation.
Related:
Mohammad Mohaqiq 10/17/2022 Afghanistan National Movement for Peace and Justice Emerges, Sparking Reactions
Mohammad Mohaqiq 05/20/2022 Ankara Gathering of Political Figures Forms the Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan
Mohammad Mohaqiq 08/16/2021 Afghan President leaves country, Taliban directed to enter Kabul

Link


Afghanistan
Taliban and Ethnic Discrimination: Uzbeks Frustrated with Symbolic Role in Taliban Regime
2024-10-11
I suppose I’d feel more sympathy were they not so eager to be part of the freaking Taliban government.
[8am] Many Uzbek citizens in Afghanistan argue that the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
’s ethnic biases have excluded them from political power, denying them a meaningful role in national decision-making. They criticize the Taliban’s mono-ethnic regime, which they claim has failed to provide any significant benefits to Uzbeks over the past three years. Instead, they say, the Taliban have forced competent Uzbek leaders and representatives out of the country through threats and coercion. Even Uzbeks who supported the Taliban and fought as commanders or fighters against the former republic and foreign forces now hold no authority in political, economic, or social matters, serving only symbolic roles within the group. The former deputy of the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
’s special envoy to Afghanistan noted that these actions have prompted influential Uzbek figures to seek opportunities to form an independent force against the Taliban.

Tamkin, a 43-year-old Uzbek from Balkh province, shared her views with the Hasht-e Subh Daily on the Taliban’s discriminatory treatment of ethnic groups in Afghanistan. She said the Taliban have denied Uzbeks any political power. "The Taliban’s behavior has shaped perceptions to the point that when their regime is mentioned, only the Pashtun ethnicity comes to mind. High-ranking government positions, from ministries to even minor departments, are all dominated by Pashtuns. Uzbeks are overlooked, both in terms of ethnicity and the talent and qualifications of their youth and elders."

Tamkin added, "The Taliban should have learned from their previous rule, avoided repeating past mistakes, and formed a government where the Afghan people could see their qualified representatives in leadership positions, supporting the establishment of an Islamic government." He pointed out that the country is now under the control of a mono-ethnic regime, with other ethnic groups in Afghanistan not supporting it.

Mohammad Rozi, an Uzbek resident of Samangan province, echoed these sentiments, stating that the Taliban have done nothing to improve the lives of Uzbeks over the past three years. "The Taliban have not served the Uzbek people in any way. They threatened our elders, forcing them to flee the country, and made no positive contributions to education or higher learning. Uzbeks who fought alongside the Taliban against the republic and foreign forces now feel powerless and alienated under their rule," he said. He further added, "This government lacks legitimacy and cannot be called inclusive. Our country needs a truly inclusive government where all ethnic groups participate in national decision-making, leading Afghanistan toward progress and prosperity."

Uzbek dissatisfaction stems from the Taliban’s creation of a mono-ethnic government that has, over the past three years, fueled ethnic tensions and excluded other groups from political power, decision-making, and the pppcountry’s development. Many influential Uzbek representatives have been forced into hiding or exile outside Afghanistan.

Additionally, according to a report by the Middle East Research Institute (MERI), Uzbeks make up less than 3% of Taliban officials and hold no decision-making power, serving only symbolic roles in the regime.

In an interview on Monday, September 25, Michael Semple, the former deputy of the EU’s special envoy to Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban are using Uzbeks in Afghanistan as "tools of war and cannon fodder." He explained that the Taliban use Uzbeks in symbolic roles to claim their government is inclusive falsely. "The Taliban neither grant Uzbeks privileges nor share power with them, and they do not value them. The presence of Uzbeks in high government positions has steadily diminished," he said. Semple added that some influential Uzbeks critical of the Taliban are seeking opportunities to form an independent force against the group.

Semple’s remarks came shortly after the recent departure of Salahuddin Ayubi, an Uzbek Taliban commander, from the group. In 2022, Ayubi was appointed by the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, as the police chief of Zabul province.

Ayubi played a key role in the Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan’s northern provinces and was one of the first individuals to enter Kabul after the fall of the republic, seizing the Presidential Palace. The Taliban have yet to comment on his departure.

Meanwhile,
...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind...
Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
, the leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, currently in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
, recently called for the formation of a parallel government to oppose the Taliban. He urged exiled Afghan political parties to unite and save Afghanistan from what he describes as the "Taliban occupation."
Related:
Dostum 06/12/2024 Six [or eight] suspected terrorists with ISIS ties arrested in sting operation in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia: sources
Dostum 05/22/2024 More Proof Biden Was Warned About Disastrous Afghanistan Withdrawal
Dostum 05/18/2024 Human rights activists named the number of abducted people in Chechnya

Related:
Salahuddin Ayubi 08/13/2023 The Territory of the Jihadists: Who Are the Foreign Fighters of ISIS in Afghanistan?
Salahuddin Ayubi 06/26/2023 Taliban Fighters Suffocate and Kill Elderly Tribal Leader in Sar-e Pul
Salahuddin Ayubi 10/14/2022 Daily Evacuation Brief October 14, 2022

Link


Southeast Asia
Top Malaysian court rules more than a dozen state Sharia laws invalid
2024-02-18
[BenarNews] Malaysia’s top court on Friday ruled that more than a dozen Islamic laws in Kelantan state were unconstitutional because they intruded on federal authority, in a decision that some conservative Moslem critics say could undermine the country’s Sharia legal system.

In an 8-1 judgment, the Federal Court declared "void and invalid" 16 laws under the state’s criminal code, including sodomy, sexual harassment, intoxication, incest and defiling or destroying a place of worship.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the verdict was not about the role of Islam or Sharia courts in Malaysia, but whether state legislatures had authority to pass laws listed under federal jurisdiction.

Malaysia has a dual-track legal system, where Sharia courts interpret and apply Islamic law and secular courts rule on civil and criminal matters. Sharia laws are passed by state governments and secular laws by Parliament.

The court ruled that only two of the 18 laws in dispute fell within the jurisdiction of Kelantan’s Sharia criminal code: selling or giving away children and words capable of breaking peace.

Outside the courtroom, lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid, who filed the legal challenge with her daughter, said the decision showed states must exercise caution when using their legislative powers.

"It also shows that the federal constitution is supreme," she said at a presser. "It’s for the well-being of all [Malaysians] and has nothing to do with the doctrine of Islam, as decided by the court.

"It concerns the competency of the state legislative assembly. I do not do this for myself but for all Malaysians, even when I was completely vilified, scorned, and condemned."

About 70% of the Malaysian population are Malays, all of whom are considered Moslem. Ethnic Chinese comprise 22.8% of the population, and ethnic Indians make up 6.6%.

Kelantan, a rural state in northeast Malaysia near Thailand, is governed by the hardline Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which advocates for a stricter interpretation of Islamic law.

Thousands of Moslems had gathered outside the courthouse in the administrative capital of Putrajaya Friday morning ahead of the decision. Amid chants of "Allahu Akbar", opposition leaders from the Perikatan Nasional coalition also made an appearance.

In response to the decision, Kelantan deputy chief minister Mohammed Fadzli Hassan said his team would seek an audience with the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, to discuss the matter.

"We have formed a committee to study the decision made and we will scrutinize it. This won't stop here," he told news hounds.

"This is a concern not just for the Kelantan government; it affects all states and governments."

Immediately after the ruling, Malaysia’s Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im issued a statement saying the position of the "Sharia court in Malaysia is steadfast, with its status guaranteed as clearly stated in the Constitution."

"Several adjustments to existing plans will be done in line with this judgment," he said. "We will implement all existing avenues and opportunities to empower the Sharia courts."Salim Bashir, a former president of the Malaysian Bar, said the Federal Court decision addressed the issue of overlapping of jurisdictions between civil and Sharia courts for criminal offenses in Kelantan.

"It doesn't mean that all state Sharia-promulgated criminal laws will be rendered otiose or displaced; it still remains to be tested in every given case on a case-by-case basis," he told BenarNews.
Related:
Kelantan state: 2018-04-20 Malaysian police search for four fugitive ISIS insurgents
Kelantan state: 2017-05-08 Bomb triggered from Malaysia hurts six Thai border cops
Kelantan state: 2014-08-01 New terror campaign plot for southern Thailand
Related:
Malaysia: 2024-02-07 Yemen has the ultimate weapon
Malaysia: 2024-02-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 31, 2024
Malaysia: 2024-01-28 Malaysian defendants in Bali bombings to serve about 5 more years
Link


Africa Subsaharan
Uganda: rebel leader charged with killing tourists
2023-11-14
[AFRICANEWS] The leader of a rebel group in Uganda was charged on Monday with terrorism and murder following the fatal attack on two foreign tourists and their driver by an armed commando in a national park last month.

Abdul Rashid Kyoto, alias Njovu, a leader of the Allied Democratic Forces
...established in the early 1990s through an agreement between portions of Uganda’s Salaf Tabliq Islamic sect and the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU), who said they had been sidelined by Museveni’s policies. At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages and the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred. A Ugandan military operation later forced the ADF into eastern Congo. The ADF has since established ties with the Islamic State group. The ADF has received funding from the Government of Sudan, which has also provided supplies and training. The ADF may also have received funding from the illegal mining and logging industries of the DRC....
(ADF) rebel group, had been arrested in early November during a Ugandan army operation against the commando group accused of killing a British and a South African honeymooner and their guide in Queen Elizabeth Park (west) on October 17.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(EI) group, to which the ADF rebels have pledged allegiance. Njovu is also blamed by the authorities for a school massacre in June which left 42 people dead, mainly students.

Abdul Rashid Kyoto has been charged with terrorism, murder, aggravated robbery and membership of a terrorist organization as part of the investigation into the attack in the national park, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Monday.

According to the prosecutor's office, Njovu was arrested on Lake Edouard, which lies on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material...
(DRC). Two other members of the commando were killed, while "the others managed to escape by boat".

The army had previously indicated that Njovu was the only survivor of the seven-member commando.

Originally Ugandan rebels with a Moslem majority, the ADF made their home in eastern DRC in the 1990s. In 2019, they pledged allegiance to the EI, which claims responsibility for some of their actions and presents them as its "Central African Province" (Iscap in English).

They are accused of having massacred thousands of civilians in the DRC in recent years and of carrying out jihadist attacks on Ugandan soil.

Following the attack on October 17, President Yoweri Museveni
...President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote...
called on the security forces to "annihilate" the ADF rebels. The army subsequently carried out several air raids against its positions in the DRC.

This murder in one of Uganda's most famous parks has sparked fears in the tourism sector, which contributed almost 10% of the country's GDP last year, according to official figures.

Link


Africa Subsaharan
Tourists killed in Uganda: captured ADF leader also accused of school massacre
2023-11-04
[AFRICANEWS] An ADF militia commander arrested on Tuesday for the murder of two foreign tourists in Uganda has also been charged with a school massacre in June, a Ugandan general said on Friday.

On Thursday, the army announced the capture of Abdul Rashid Kyoto, also known as Njovu, and the death of six other members of the commando group accused of murdering a British and a South African honeymooner and their guide in Queen Elizabeth Park on October 17.

The ADF rebels, affiliated to the jihadist group Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
, have previously been accused by the Ugandan authorities of attacking a school in the western town of Mpondwe on June 17, in which 42 people were killed, and another on October 28 in Kasindi, in eastern DRC, in which four people were killed, including two Ugandan soldiers.

"There is a correlation between the three attacks and Njovu's command", General Dick Olum, in charge of an anti-ADF operation in the DRC, told AFP: "It was the same Njovu, alias Abdul Rashid Kyoto, who commanded these attacks and the attack on the two tourists and their guide".

"We have a lot of information on the ADF. We know who led these missions to kill people", he added.

His capture "should reassure Ugandans and tourists that with the operations underway, Uganda is safe and the ADF will be defeated", he concluded.

The murder of the two tourists in one of Uganda's most famous parks raised fears in the tourism sector, which contributed almost 10% of the country's GDP last year, according to official figures.

Originally Ugandan rebels with a Moslem majority, the ADF spread to eastern DRC in the 1990s. They pledged allegiance in 2019 to the EI, which claims responsibility for some of their actions and presents them as its "Central African Province" (Iscap in English).

They are accused of having massacred thousands of civilians in the DRC in recent years and of carrying out jihadist attacks on Ugandan soil.

On Thursday, a Ugandan court sentenced seven people to between seven and ten years' imprisonment, notably for their links with the ADF.

The convicts, including a 75-year-old man, had pleaded guilty to belonging to a "terrorist organization", as well as to financing terrorism and trafficking children for recruitment into the ADF.

One of them also pleaded guilty to recruiting his children into the ADF and rape.
Related:
ADF: 2023-11-03 Too Much Moloko plus?: ‘Evil' children armed with chainsaws and axes destroy £1,200,000 listed home
ADF: 2023-11-03 World Bank: Half of All Afghans Are Living in Poverty
ADF: 2023-10-26 Civilians massacred in DR Congo as clashes spread
Related:
Mpondwe: 2023-06-25 Robert Spencer: Americans Assume the Jihad Is Over. In Africa, It's Bloodier and More Aggressive Than Ever
Mpondwe: 2023-06-19 Uganda military embarks on pursuing perpetrators to rescue abducted students
Mpondwe: 2023-06-18 Authorities blame ISIS-linked group for deadly attack on Ugandan school, 25 dead
Related:
Kasindi: 2023-01-17 ISIL Group Claims Deadly Bombing of Church in Eastern DR Congo
Kasindi: 2023-01-16 Islamic State group blamed in church bombing that killed 10 in Congo
Link


India-Pakistan
Two terror modules busted in Kulgam, five arrested: police
2023-09-25


Police alongwith security forces have busted two terror modules in Kulgam by arresting 05 hybrid hard boyz of proscribed terror outfit LeT. Huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from their possession, officials said today.

Kulgam police alongwith Army (1st RR & 9RR) and CRPF (18 Bn & 46 BN) busted two terror modules by arresting five hybrid hard boyz of proscribed terror outfit LeT, said a police front man in a statement.

"Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 02 Pistols, 03 Hand Grenades 01 UBGL, 02 Pistol magazine, 12 Pistol rounds and 21 AK-47 rounds have been recovered from their possession."

"They have been identified as Aadil Hussain Wani son of Lal Din Wani resident of Poniwah, Suhail Ahmad Dar son of Siraj Ahmad Dar resident of Bugam, Aitmad Ahmad Laway son of Abdul Rashid Laway resident of Brazilian Jageer, Mehraj Ahmad Lone son of Bashir Ahmad Lone resident of Hawoora and Sabzar Ahmad Khaar son of Ghulam Mohammad Khar resident of Ghat Redwani Payeen."

Accordingly, cases under relevant sections of law have been registered and further investigation has been initiated.
Related:
Kulgam: 2023-09-14 JK: Army Colonel, Major, Dy SP Killed In Gunfight With Terrorists
Kulgam: 2023-09-10 Hybrid terrorist of TRF arrested in Srinagar: Police
Kulgam: 2023-08-27 Terror module busted in Bandipora
Link


India-Pakistan
Police arrest four LeT associates in Budgam
2023-07-19
[GreaterKashmir] Security forces have arrested four terrorist associates linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT in Budgam and recovered incriminating materials from their possession.

A police statement said that police along with Army (62 RR) arrested 04 terrorist associates in Beerwah area of district Budgam.

They have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Lone son of Abdul Rashid Lone resident of Gondipora Beerwah, Azhar Ahmad Mir son of Nazir Ahmad Mir resident of Chewdara Beerwah, Irfan Ahmad Sofi son of Abdul Rashid Sofi resident of Arwah Beerwah and Abrar Ahmad Malik son of Abdul Ahad Malik resident of Arwah Beerwah, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT.

"Incriminating materials have been recovered from their possession. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, " the statement said.

Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Beerwah and investigation has been taken up.
Related:
Budgam: 2023-07-13 Cops tie up 5 LeT turbans in Budgam
Budgam: 2023-07-12 SIU raids in J&K's Kishtwar at houses of 'terrorists' operating from Pakistan
Budgam: 2023-07-11 JKLF-Hurriyat revival conspiracy case Police formally arrest 10 ex-terrorists, erstwhile separatists
Link


Afghanistan
Alarm bells ring for Takhar residents over incoming TTP fighters
2023-07-03
[AMUtv] A number of residents of Takhar province voiced their concerns regarding the relocation of Tehrik-e-Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
Pakistain (TTP) members and their families to the northeastern province, saying it will cause tension in their areas.

In recent weeks, the Taliban has initiated the relocation of TTP members and their families from eastern parts of Afghanistan along the Durand Line, the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistain, to various northern regions. This transfer is part of an agreement in principle with Pakistain aimed at addressing the latter’s security concerns regarding perceived threats from Wazoo migrants colonists who have resided for years in eastern provinces such as Paktia, Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
, and Kunar.

The ongoing relocation, which has raised widespread alarm and unease among residents of northern and northeastern provinces, has been underway for nearly a month. The Taliban has stated that the migrants colonists will be transferred to the north and central and other parts of the country.

"The concern extends beyond Takhar residents and affects numerous northern provinces. It is a sensitive issue that could potentially reignite crises in Afghanistan," expressed Abdul Bashir, a resident of Takhar.

Other residents of Takhar echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing their deep concern over the situation.

Meanwhile,
...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Nunzio had his hands full of angry bleached blonde...
the Afghanistan National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, also known as the Junbish-e-Milli party led by former vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
, has warned of escalating tensions and raised the matter with the United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
in search of a solution.

"We believe that tensions will increase, especially among different ethnic groups, if this continues," stated Ihsan Nairo, a party spokesperson. "At the Junbish Milli party, we are actively working towards finding a resolution to this issue."

Former Pak prime minister Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer...
, in an interview with Radio Azadi, stated that the number of TTP members and their families in Afghanistan ranges from 30,000 to 40,000. He suggested that the best solution would be to repatriate them to Pakistain to resume a normal life.

Questions however, have been raised as to what consequences might such resettlement and movements have for Afghanistan in the long run?

"Given the current circumstances, any type of movement can carry security implications. If there are any hidden agendas behind these actions, it could lead the country toward further tensions," cautioned Qadam Amin, a university lecturer.

TTP, formed in 2007 as an anti-Pakistain government movement, is known to maintain close ties with the Taliban. In recent months, the Taliban has made efforts to mediate between the TTP and the Pak government, highlighting their interconnectedness.
Related:
Takhar province: 2023-06-27 Security Forces Seize Weapons and Ammunition in Afghanistan’s Paktika
Takhar province: 2023-04-16 Female Doctor Shot Dead by Unknown Gunmen in Takhar, Suspected Taliban Involvement
Takhar province: 2023-04-15 Lady doctor gunned down in Takhar
Link


Afghanistan
Batur Dostum Expresses Concerns Over Relocation of TTP to Northern Afghanistan
2023-06-26
[KhaamaPress] Batur Dostum
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
, head of Central Council of the National Movement Party met with Feridun Sinirlioglu, the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan affairs, and expressed concerns over the usurpation of Uzbek and Turkmen lands by the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
and relocation of Pak Taliban in northern Afghanistan.

During the meeting with Feridun Sinirlioglu said, "The relocation of TTP members to northern Afghanistan" is worrying not only for the people of Afghanistan but also for the regional countries — discouraging them from engaging with the Taliban administration.

Batur Dostum is the son of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum who served as a parliament member in the former government. Also, Batur was a member of the Afghanistan peace negotiation team who participated in talks with the Taliban in Doha.

Referring to the shortcomings of the Taliban government and the self-centered policies of this group, Mr. Batur asked the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
to increase the pressure on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, according to sources.

During the meeting, Mr. Sinirlioglu said he is collecting and assessing reports about Afghanistan — adding he will include Batur’s complaints as well.

Nearly two months ago, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Feridun Sinirlioglu of Turkiye as the Special Coordinator, Independent Assessment Mandated by Security Council Resolution 2679 (2023).

The Secretary-General has asked Mr. Sinirlioglu to lead the independent assessment with a view to providing recommendations for an integrated and coherent approach to address the current challenges faced by Afghanistan.
Related:
Batur Dostum: 2023-01-11 Daily Evacuation Brief January 11, 2023
Batur Dostum: 2018-06-05 Taliban ambush Batur Dostum’s convoy in Jawzjan province
Link


India-Pakistan
Former Lal Masjid cleric, wife booked in terror, other cases
2023-06-25
[Dawn] Separate cases were registered against former Lal Masjid
...literally the Red Mosque, located in Islamabad and frequented by all sorts of high govt officials. The proprietors, Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, unleashed their Islamic storm troopers on the city, shutting down whorehouses and beating people up who weren't devout enough. The Musharraf govt put an end to the nonsense by besieging the place. Abdul Aziz Ghazi was nabbed while he was trying to escape dressed up like a girl. BBC reported that the corpse count at 173, but other claims, usually hysterical, say there were up to 1000 titzup. Among their number was Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Everyone then said tut-tut and what a nice guy he had been...
holy man Maulana Abdul Aziz
...nutball holy man who runs the Lal Masjid in the heart of Pakistain's capital. After instigating a rebellion against the state in 2007, he was caught trying to sneak away dressed in a burka. He rejects democracy as un-Islamic, which it probably is...
and his wife at the cop shoppes of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Kohsar under different charges, including Anti-Terrorism Act, police said.

One of the cases was registered at the Kohsar cop shoppe under section 121 of Pakistain Penal Code (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistain), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) along with ATA 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism), 11-W (printing, publishing or disseminating any material to incite hatred or giving projection to any person convicted for a terrorist act or any proscribed organization or an organization placed under observation or anyone concerned in terrorism) and 11(X) (responsibility for creating civil commotion) against the former holy man’s wife and 125 unidentified people, including women.

According to the FIR, on June 21 they blocked Jinnah Avenue and Fazl-e-Haq Road for over six hours. They also forcefully shut down shops and markets.

The holy man’s wife, Umme Hassan, threatened the CTD staff and asked TTP to kill them on sight weather they are in uniform or not, it said.

The other case was registered at the CTD cop shoppe under section 324 (murder attempt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) along with ATA 7 and 11EE (proscription of person) against Maulana Abdul Aziz and four other persons.

According to the FIR, the CTD team in response to a tip intercepted a vehicle for the recovery of weapons at Melody on June 21. Three persons, two of them armed with SMGs, disembarked from the vehicle and one of them started firing at the police.

Maulana Aziz was also sitting in the vehicle against whom several cases of terrorism were registered. Besides, he was also included in the Fourth Schedule of the ATA, it said, adding the holy man also fired at the police from inside the vehicle.

However,
Switzerland makes more than cheese...
the police succeeded to arrest three persons and recovered SMGs from them, the FIR said, adding they failed to produce permit or licence of the weapons.
Related:
Lal Masjid: 2023-06-23 Lal Masjid cleric booked over terror charges after ‘opening fire’ at police
Lal Masjid: 2023-01-22 Islamabad’s Jamia Hafsa students back on streets after police operation
Lal Masjid: 2021-02-07 UN recognizes threat to Pakistan by Afghan-based TTP, JuA terrorists
Related:
Umme Hassan: 2016-06-25 Advocate General help sought on FIR against cleric
Umme Hassan: 2015-11-14 Lal Masjid cleric back in action
Umme Hassan: 2015-02-11 Student 'detained' at Jamia Hafsa goes home
Link


India-Pakistan
Lal Masjid cleric booked over terror charges after ‘opening fire’ at police
2023-06-23
[Dawn] Maulana Abdul Aziz
...nutball holy man who runs the Lal Masjid in the heart of Pakistain's capital. After instigating a rebellion against the state in 2007, he was caught trying to sneak away dressed in a burka. He rejects democracy as un-Islamic, which it probably is...
, who dodged an arrest a day ago leading to road blockages by his supporters near Islamabad’s Lal Masjid
...literally the Red Mosque, located in Islamabad and frequented by all sorts of high govt officials. The proprietors, Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, unleashed their Islamic storm troopers on the city, shutting down whorehouses and beating people up who weren't devout enough. The Musharraf govt put an end to the nonsense by besieging the place. Abdul Aziz Ghazi was nabbed while he was trying to escape dressed up like a girl. BBC reported that the corpse count at 173, but other claims, usually hysterical, say there were up to 1000 titzup. Among their number was Abdul Rashid Ghazi. Everyone then said tut-tut and what a nice guy he had been...
, has been booked over terror charges along with four others, it emerged on Thursday. A day ago, Aziz evaded arrest after his guards put up resistance to the police team, following which female students of Jamia Hafsa
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India-Pakistan
Why India is weary of letting the Islamic State returnees back on its soil
2023-05-05
[OneIndia] Several states are on a state of high-alert as the movie, 'The Kerala Story is slated for a release on May 5, Friday.

The story is largely based on the case that is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in which 24 persons from Kerala had joined the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
and joined the outfit in Afghanistan.

Ahmad Zia Saraj, the head of the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
told news hounds that there are 408 members of the Islamic State who are lodged in the prisons of Afghanistan. This included four Indians, 16 Chinese, 299 Paks, two Bangladeshis and two from the Maldives.

While Afghanistan would soon begin talks with these respective countries to deport the Islamic State operatives, India is no mood to bring back the four operatives. The four women had travelled to Afghanistan's Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
between 2016-18. Their husbands were killed in different attacks, following which the four women surrendered before the authorities.

A source tells OneIndia that the Indian authorities are not in favour of these women returning to India. These women had been interviewed by the Indian security agencies in Afghanistan in 2019, a month after they surrendered. The women have been identified as Sonia Sebastin alias Ayisha Raffeala, Merrin Jacob alias Mariyam and Nimisha alias Fathima Isa.

According to the NIA's chargesheet filed in 2017, Sonia had left from Kasargod in 2016, with her husband Abdul Rashid. The agency also said that Merrin had left with her husband, Westin Vincent to Islamic State controlled territory in 2016.

Some of the parents of these girls have been making pleas to the Indian authorities to bring back their daughters. India's policy on internal security however does not allow this. India has taken a cue from the attacks in La Belle France which were undertaken by the returnees of the Islamic State.

An official specialising on the affairs of the Islamic State says that if one looks at the pattern of the terror group, it tends to use returnees to stage attacks. It would take some more time for India to analyse the situation in Afghanistan. The Islamic State follows the pattern of training people on its soil and then sending back the recruits to their motherland. These persons could either end up becoming heroes or could even stage lone wolf strikes, the official explained. This is one of the primary reasons why India is cautious when it comes to taking back the returnees on its soil, the officer also said.
Related:
The Kerala Story: 2023-05-03 Understanding radicalisation in Kerala and how seeds were sown 30 years back
The Kerala Story: 2022-03-27 Converted to Islam and sold: How radicals are trapping gullible women in Kerala
Related:
Sonia Sebastin: 2021-07-06 Why are Indian agencies opposing the return of Malayali ISIS recruits from Afghanistan
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