Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

International

Afghanistan spinning out of control, says UN

Like Pakistan, the United Kingdom also blamed America for crisis in Afghanistan saying the US troops pull out was a blunder.

The Taliban armed group has captured the provincial capitals, Qalat, Terenkot, Pul-e-Alam, Feruz Koh, Qal-e-Naw and Lashkar Gah, hours after capturing Herat and Kandahar cities. The Taliban, so far, have taken control of over 18 provincial capitals across Afghanistan. Practically, the Taliban now control more than 50 percent areas in Afghanistan.

Like Pakistan, the United Kingdom also blamed America yesterday saying the US troops pull out was a blunder which pushed Afghanistan into crisis, giving opportunity to the Taliban to capture many cities and town. In a statement, the UK officials said the US troops pull out will not only strengthen Taliban control over Afghanistan, ISIS will also develop its footprints in the country. Consequently, ISIS people can target the western countries. Hence, pulling out the troops was a mistake and a wrong policy of the United States.

In his first appeal to the group, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the Taliban to immediately halt its offensive and negotiate “in good faith” to avert a prolonged civil war.

“This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war or the isolation of Afghanistan,” Guterres said at a press conference.

FILE PHOTO: Armed men who are against Taliban uprising stand at their check post, at the Ghorband District, Parwan Province, Afghanistan June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani/File Photo

“Afghanistan is spinning out of control,” Guterres said. “Continued urban conflict will mean continued carnage – with civilians paying the highest price.”

Meanwhile the US and European countries are evacuating their embassy staff as the Taliban inches closer to the country’s capital, Kabul.

Canada to accept 20,000 vulnerable Afghans

Canada plans to resettle more than 20,000 vulnerable Afghans including women leaders, human rights workers and reporters to protect them from Taliban reprisals, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has said.

The effort is in addition to an earlier initiative to welcome thousands of Afghans who worked for the Canadian government, such as interpreters, embassy workers and their families, he told a news conference.

Canada’s new plan would focus on those who are particularly vulnerable, including women leaders, human rights defenders, reporters, persecuted religious minorities and members of the gay and lesbian community, he said.


US expects more resistance from Afghan forces

The US hopes to see more resistance from the Afghan military against the Taliban, the Pentagon says, stressing that government forces in Afghanistan have the upper hand on paper despite their recent losses.

Department of Defence spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Afghan forces have the tools to push against the ongoing fierce Taliban offensive.

“We want to see the will and the political leadership, the military leadership that’s required in the field. We still want to see that, and we hope to see that,” Kirby told reporters.

‘They sold us out’

Residents in Herat and Kandahar say they cannot believe how quickly both cities fell after the Taliban’s weeks-long effort to take two of Afghanistan’s largest cities.

“They literally sold us out, there was no government resistance,” one female resident of Kandahar told Al Jazeera, fighting back tears late on Thursday evening.

“I never imagined that Kandahar would be taken so easily,” she said echoing a sentiment made by Afghans across the country.

UK to evacuate British nationals

The British government has said a military operation has been established to support the evacuation of British nationals from Afghanistan.

“Operation Pitting, the military support to the drawdown of British nationals and entitled personnel has commenced in Afghanistan. This may also include the use of RAF (Royal Air Force) aircraft if required”, the UK’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to the use of military support for the next phase of drawing down British nationals from Afghanistan and Home Office officials will be travelling there to support the increase in processing.

Avatar photo
Written By

I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.

Economy

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, will help Ugandan authorities to establish a Halal Authentication Laboratory in...

Articles

Daesh gunmen killed at least 143 Russians in an attack on a concert mall in Moscow and injured dozens of others. The callous attack...

Latest Updates

The Russia’s Interior Ministry stated on Saturday that the four suspected gunmen arrested after Friday night's deadly attack were foreigners, with some media outlets...

Politics

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat clarified to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that he did not directly accuse Punjab Chief Minister...