“ “

Louis D. Brandeis

Volume Num. 4561 Saturday March, 13, 2021 Hoot, 23, 1399 www.Outlookafghanistan.net Price: 20/afs

www.outlookafghanistan.net@The.Daily.Outlook.AfghanistanOutlookafghanistan@gmail.com0093 799-005019/ 777-005019In front of Habibia High School,District 6, Kabul, AfghanistanQ

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If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.

Turkey to Host Afghan Peace Talks in April

ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey plans to hold an Afghan peace confer-ence in Istanbul in April. This comes after the US secre-tary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a letter to President Ashraf Ghani, that a meeting facilitated by the UN will be hosted in Turkey to discuss the Afghan peace process.The Afghan government and the Taliban representatives, and foreign countries will partici-pate in the summit.“We will do this (meeting) in coordination with brotherly Qatar,” said Cavusoglu quoted by the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu.Cavusoglu stated: “We were one of the few countries invited to this signing ceremony, and we are one of the most impor-tant actors in Afghanistan.” He added that Turkey is trusted by both parties in the talks.The Turkish Foreign Minister also stated that Turkey would also appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan to contribute to the process.Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani hosted a meeting Thurs-day of high-ranking Afghan officials and other influential individuals in order to formu-late a comprehensive plan for the upcoming peace summit in Turkey, aimed at securing na-

tional consensus to strengthen the government’s position in the talks.“The meeting focused on the general security situation, strengthening the national con-sensus, and the continuation of consultative meetings,” said Dawa Khan Menapal, the depu-ty presidential spokesman.However, a number of political figures who attended the meet-ing said it was more focused on

creating a single plan for the Ankara summit which is ex-pected to be held on March 27.“The atmosphere at the meeting was such that all political lead-ers and even government lead-ers called for peace, called for an immediate end to the war, and decided to work on a peace plan to reach a conclusion at the Ankara summit soon,” said Sa-tar Murad, a close ally of Atta Noor. (ATN)

Afghan Media Takes Hard

Knock as Staff Resign and Dozens

Seek Asylum

Withdrawal of Troops Also Means Withdrawal of

Foreign Contractors: SIGAR

US, Others Confirm Participation in Moscow

Meeting: Kabulov

KABUL - NAI, an organiza-tion supporting open media in Afghanistan, said Thursday that in the last two weeks, the number of female journalists in Nangarhar, Kandahar and Balkh provinces has dropped by a staggering 90 percent.NAI also said not only are jour-nalists in Afghanistan under threat, but so too are their fami-lies.In addition, NAI stated that the solar year 1399 has been one of the bloodiest years to date for journalists in Afghanistan.Eleven journalists and media workers have died in the coun-try this solar year and at least 50 Afghan journalists, including men and women, have fled the country.According to NAI, govern-ment’s apparent negligence in following up on cases involving crimes against journalists and the sharp rise in targeted killings of media work-ers has been a...

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KABUL - Washington’s Spe-cial Inspector General for Af-ghanistan Reconstruction’s (SIGAR) John F Sopko this week warned that the May 1 troop withdrawal deadline does not only apply to foreign military forces, numbering around 10,000 in total, but also to as many as 18,000 foreign contractors and trainers cur-rently in Afghanistan.Sopko said in his latest report, SIGAR’s 2021 High Risk List, that there are “reasons to be-lieve that without sustained

KABUL - All the invited par-ticipants in the consultations of the expanded “trio” on a peaceful settlement in Afghan-istan scheduled to be held in Moscow on March 18 have confirmed their participation, Russian News Agency TASS reported on Friday.Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan and Director of the Russian For-eign Ministry’s Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov confirmed the development

support, Afghan security forc-es will fall apart because of a lack of personnel.”He said as recently as the first quarter of fiscal 2021, 40 per-cent of the Afghan mili-tary’s logistics, mainte-nance and ...

to TASS. “Yes, that’s all for now,” he said.When asked whether US rep-resentatives will take part in the consultations, he said that US Special Repre-sentative for...

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Page 2 March, 13, 2021 Main Page

KABUL - QNET Company con-tinues to function in capital Ka-bul despite being banned by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) last year and arrested some of its workers.Incepted in Hong Kong last year by a Malaysian businessman, the company offers services in different fields such as health, travel, watches, medical care, technology, energy and other areas of business.QNET is functioning in some countries legally but in other na-tions such as Iran, the company has no legal permission of func-tioning and continues working illegally.According to a report from the MoI, last year 25 employees of the company were arrested over encouraging the youth how to earn more money. The company was accused of deceiving youth and thus the MoI raided its of-fice and arrested 25 of its em-ployees and seized office equip-ment.Pajhwok findings show that QNET is an unregistered com-pany with its central office in Shahr-e-Naw locality and re-

gional offices in other parts of Kabul city. The company is functioning illegally and recruits youth daily offering them the easiest ways to earn money and quickly become well-off.Some youth told Pajhwok Af-ghan News they visited the company to get job and money, but after some times when the company received membership fee from them, they realized that the company was deceiving them and the only purpose was snatching money from youth.Inside QNET Office:As part of developing the report, Pajhwok reporter visited QNET

Dasht-e-Barchi branch situated on the third floor of a four-storey building. The fourth flour is al-located for women.Besides QNET office, Dr. Mo-hammad JavedKarimi’s clinic and Arya Group Engineering services department is also func-tioning but there is no plague in the building under the name of QNET office.An employee of the clinic and a shopkeeper in the area told Pa-jhwok Afghan News a business company was functioning in the budding but nobody knew what services the company offered.Four people — three girls and

one boy — arrived in the build-ing to visit QNET Company, but in the learning section of QNET Company, 10 people, mostly from provinces, were busy learning.The branch in-charge Moham-mad Qasim was speaking with the visitors and briefed them about the company’s services in the marketing section. He also provided information to the vis-iting applicants about the mar-keting and membership of the company.He said besides 200 branches in different parts of Kabul, QNET has branches in Herat province as well.He said QNET is member of QI Company which was incepted in Hong Kong in 1998. After ex-pansion in Asia, it has converted into network marketing for large companies in Asia. It has now 52 companies in different countries.He said individuals getting membership of this company are offered training in tourism, edu-cation, use of medical make up equipment, selling of wrest watches for one week and later the practical...

KABUL - Doctors at Wazir Ak-bar Khan hospital have said that an employee working for the Iranian embassy in Kabul was wounded in an armed attack in Kabul on Wednesday night.Sources told TOLOnews that the attack happened in PD10 of Kabul and an Iranian was wounded.According to the doctors, the name of the employee is Mahdi, and he said he is a secretary at the Iranian embassy in Kabul.“A patient was brought to us—he was an Iranian citizen—he had wounds on his right arm, a nerve was severed and there were internal and external in-

KABUL - Mohammad Younus Toghra, a member of the Inde-pendent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), on Thurs-day accused the body of ethnic prejudice and nepotism in its in-ternal elections. Toghra said he won the election to lead the IECC twice in the internal election of the commis-sion, however, some members within the commission do not recognize his victory because of their “ethnic, racial and geo-graphical” prejudice. “One of the miseries of our so-ciety is this problem that origi-nates from racial, ethnic and geographical discrimination. We never manage to resolve these issues,” said Toghra.Election monitoring bodies have said that in order to resolve tensions in the commission, its members should act on its inter-nal procedures.“Members of the election com-

MAZAR-I-SHARIF - The father of kidnapped 9-year-old Abdul Rauf has claimed kidnappers demanded $2 million against the release of his son.He said after four and a half months of his son abduction, the government only made prom-ises and failed to ensure the re-lease of his son.Abdul Rauf was kidnapped four and a half months ago in Mazar-I-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province.“First they demanded $1 million now they raised their demand to $2 million. They know we don’t have money.”The father of kidnapped Abdul Rauf said: “I met with presi-dent Ghani and Vice President Amrullah Saleh in Kabul who assured me of the release of my son but no development had been made.”Zahra, the mother of kidnapped boy, said the government was

PESHAWAR - Pakistan has al-lowed import of cotton from Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics through the Torkham crossing.The decision came at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabi-net chaired by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.The ECC approved a summary from the Ministry of Com-merce seeking permission for the import of cotton from Af-ghanistan and Central Asian States through land route via Torkham.The decision is aimed to bridge the gap between supply and demand and to ensure suffi-cient availability of cotton for

juries on his hand,” said Haris Arif, a surgeon in Wazir Akbar Khan hospital.Meanwhile, the Iranian Em-bassy in Kabul said that an employee of the embassy was riding in his private car while shopping in downtown Kabul, and when faced with armed robbers he resisted.The security forces have trans-ferred the car to another place.“They had fired bullets at the window of the car, then the car drove into the culvert,” said Qari Ajmal, an eyewitness.In the western part of Ka-bul, armed men mur-dered the...

missions are obliged to organize elections based on their inter-nal procedures and rules,” said Naeem Ayoubzada, the head of the Transparent Election Foun-dation of Afghanistan (TEFA).“Unfortunately, using the cur-rent legal documents, the exist-ing situation within the com-plaints commission has not been resolved, but this issue can be resolved by consulting legal procedures,” said legal expert Wahid Farzayee.Based on the election laws of Afghanistan, members of the electoral bodies—the Independent...

not sharing information with them regarding his son.“We knocked every door to get help for the release of my son. Government officials make empty promises.”She said President Ghani was very serious about Abdul Rauf case but alleged the president no ignored the case.Balkh Governor Farhad Azeemi said the kidnapping case of Ab-dul Rauf was being investigated by security institutions.On his facebook page, Azeemi wrote last week national security advisor visited Balkh province...

promoting Pakistan’s textile exports. According to the sum-mary, the ECC had granted such permission earlier to work out necessary arrangements for the import of cotton via land route. The Commerce Ministry urged the cabinet committee to extend the permission for im-porting cotton via land route during the current financial year. (Pajhwok)

Unregistered QNET Company Deceiving Youth

17 New Covid-19 Cases Registered in Past 24hrs: MoPH

Iranian Embassy Employee Wounded in Gun Attack in Kabul

IECC Member Accuses Group of Ethnic Prejudice

Kidnappers Demand $2 Million to Free Abdul Rauf

Pakistan Allows Cotton Imports Via Torkham

KABUL - Seventeen persons have tested positive for coro-navirus in the past 24 hours while three persons died from the virus, the Ministry of Pub-lic Health (MoPH) said on Friday. With 17 new cases the total national tally of people af-fected by coronavirus reached to 55,957, according to a state-ment from the MoPH.A total 1,830 samples were brought to the different labora-tories in the country in which

17 were positive.The new cases are deducted in Nangarhar, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunar, Maidan Wardak and Laghman provinces. (Pajhwok)

Mar 13, 2021 - If you’ve been concerned about your health for any reason, Leo, to-day your medical professional could give you a clean bill of health. You will believe it, because you’re likely to feel wonderful. Stress has vanished, at least for now, and

your energy and enthusiasm are higher than they’ve been for a long time. Enjoy yourself. Go out with some friends. You’ve earned it!

Mar 13, 2021 - An unexpected release of tension could come today, Taurus. Something that has been restricting you and limiting your growth is going to disappear, and you will want to run through the streets shouting. From here

on out, certain desires that have eluded you could start to manifest in your life. One of them could be a new romance. What else need be said?

Mar 13, 2021 - Some strange but wonder-ful things could be happening to you now, Gemini. Sheer luck could well be in the pic-ture. Have you wanted to move to a nicer place? If so, now you probably can. Have you been expecting a bonus or settlement?

Today it could be yours! Even your dreams are apt to be vivid, powerful, and very beautiful. The only downside is if one of the events involves money, don’t overspend!

Down

Across Yesterday’s Solution

1. Couch, 2. Elderly, 3. Require, 4. Express in words, 5. Something of value, 6. Elon-gated yellow fruit, 7. Jubilant, 8. Mark for misconduct, 9. Sow, 10. Recuperate, 11. Inuit boat, 12. Name of a book, 13. Horse, 21. Carrying boats and supplies overland, 24. Small boat, 25. Sharp intake of breath, 26. Largest continent, 27. Applications, 28. Disunity, 30. A flow of electricity, 32. Remains, 34. Reasonable, 35. Celestial bear 36. Caustics, 40. A dais, 41. Gift, 43. Beginning, 45. Display, 46. Despised, 47. Accus-tom, 49. Ups and _____, 51. Curious, 52. Hack, 53. Rant, 54. Winglike, 55. Abound

1. Father Christmas, 6. What we sleep on, 10. Gashes, 14. S-shaped moldings, 15. Away from the wind, 16. Leave out, 17. Experiences, 18. What a person is called, 19. Anagram of “Tine”, 20. Peabrain, 22. Sheltered spot, 23. Laser printer powder, 24. Coated, 25. Cheap showy jewelry (archaic), 29. Revolutionary, 31. Helps, 33. Melodic, 37. After-noon nap, 38. Prayer beads, 39. A way through, 41. Exact, 42. Blight, 44. Historical periods, 45. Front parts of human legs, 48. Inclination, 50. Camber, 51. Peer, 56. Deco-rative case, 57. A measuring instrument, 58. Cetacean mammal, 59. Roman emperor, 60. Norse god, 61. Exploded stars, 62. Biblical garden, 63. Lady’s escort, 64. The male reproductive cell

Outlook Horoscope

Pisces (Feb.19-Mar.20)

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb.18)

Capricorn (Dec.21-Jan19)

Scorpio (Oct.23-Nov.22)

Libra (Sep 23-Oct. 22)Cancer (June 21-July 20)

Sagittarius (Nov.23-Dec.20)

Leo (July 21-Aug. 21)Taurus (Apr.21-May 20)

Aries (Mar. 22-Apr.20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)Virgo (Aug. 22-Sep 22 )

Mar 13, 2021 - A fabulous career break could come your way today, Aries. It could be a raise, promotion, or even a new job in a new field. It could also in-volve a completely different location. The

work you will be doing may be unlike anything you’ve ever done before, and that’s a challenge. Don’t worry! Change is necessary if you’re to reach your maximum potential. Go with the flow.

Mar 13, 2021 - A rather black mood that’s been plaguing you since early morning could suddenly disappear when a busi-ness or romantic partner brings wonderful news your way, Cancer. It could involve a

goal that finally manifests that you may have given up long ago. If so, you could feel a little overwhelmed. Take some time to sit still and let it sink in before celebrating Congratulations!

Mar 13, 2021 - Dreams should shed light on some difficult issues you’ve been try-ing to resolve, Libra. You can finally make the problems disappear. This should be more than a relief to you - it’s a blessing!

Your friends might want to take you out to celebrate, but you will probably want to sit home and enjoy your newfound contentment. Pour some wine, put on some favorite music, and relax! You’ve earned it!

Mar 13, 2021 - Today you may wake up feeling energetic, enthusiastic, optimis-tic, and very happy, Capricorn. You may not be able to trace this to anything logi-

cal, so don’t even try. Make the most of what’s hap-pening and use that energy to create the life you want. You might feel like you can move mountains, but for now you’d better concentrate on molehills. Be con-servative now and tackle the mountains later!

Mar 13, 2021 - More than one call could come today with absolutely wonderful news! Exciting and wonderful changes are in the wind, Scorpio, but you need to bear in mind that with the good news

comes the unknown. Your life may be turned upside down. Consider if you really want to stay in the same rut for the rest of your life. Gird your loins and look forward to an adventure!

Mar 13, 2021 - Have you been feeling psy-chic lately, Aquarius? Has a recent dream or premonition come true? Any insights that you receive today aren’t likely to be clothed in complex symbolism - they

should be easily understood. Write them down! You will want to check them later. Some of what you sense might be a little disturbing, perhaps involving a pub-lic figure you admire. Be prepared!

Mar 13, 2021 - Today you might gather with some very smart friends at a coffee house for an intellectual conversation, Pisces. Some fascinating ideas and use-

ful information could be exchanged. Much of what is said could inspire new creative projects. If it isn’t too late, walk home and clear your head or sleep may be a bit elusive tonight!

Mar 13, 2021 - Creative energies are flowing like a river today, Virgo. Ideas for projects should come thick and fast. You can’t wait to get started. You may even formulate plans to

market them once they’re done. Love and romance should also be going well for you, as intellectual discussions could bring you and a current or potential love partner closer. Have a wonderful day and make the most of it!

Mar 13, 2021 - A sizable sum of money could come your way today, Sagittarius, probably as a surprise. This is a significant

day for you. The money will open up new doors, particu-larly where creativity is concerned, so the situation defi-nitely calls for a celebration. Don’t gamble or consider any kind frivolous of investment for at least two months. Treat yourself! You deserve it!

appetite appropriate arena beer boost boothbound choice compro-mise dance desire earlyfalse favor focal front hammer heavy hobo humor imply inform merry moan movie never once preference

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loans for the installation of small-scale renewable-energy systems in off-grid rural areas. In Bangladesh, for example, the Infrastructure Development Com-pany Limited provides direct subsidies and microcredit financing for home solar systems. Governments should also support women-led businesses, which have been hit disproportionately hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Stud-ies carried out by the UN Environment Programme under the Em-Power project, jointly implemented with UN Women and funded by the Swedish government, show that small-scale enterprises run by women have been rocked by revenue losses, cash-flow limitations, and challenges in attracting new investment.Because women in the region are often more economically active in the informal sector, they are not included to the same extent as men in recovery funding. Governments should therefore add a gender component to recovery programs, so that they can effectively target all those in need.A third simple solution is to invest more in promoting digital literacy and skills among women and marginalized communities. The digital gender divide is large. Women in low and middle-income countries are 8% less likely than men to own a mobile phone. And in 2019, just 48% of women globally were online, compared to 58% of men.Greater digital literacy could enable women to play a larger role in the region’s renewable energy sector. Buying, selling, and tracking the use of household energy are increas-ingly conducted online, with countries such as India, Nepal, and Bangladesh using digital platforms to aggregate market demand and match consumers with energy suppliers. Better understanding of these technologies will give women – wheth-er smallholder farmers or entrepreneurs – the chance to tap (and ex-pand) existing markets for small-scale energy production.Such initiatives could generate other benefits, too. Stable, reliable electricity supplies from renewable minigrids managed by women in rural areas could help power mobile telecommunication towers, for example, enabling telecom operators to expand their coverage.Gendered recovery packages would benefit both governments and businesses, and not only in Asia and the Pacific. Policymakers would foster inclusive economic development and demonstrate social and environmental stewardship, while firms would benefit from new markets and an increasing online population willing and able to pay for goods and services. And nobody would be left behind.

the international terrorism such as Daesh and Al-Qaeeda but the national and international evidences show that they have not acted upon their commitment. Therefore, the stance of this group of people seems more rational as there is no guarantee once the current minimum order collapses down. The next group of people has showed more sentimental reactions to the Blinken’s letter. In fact, the Blinken’s letter faced with angry reaction of politicians saying this letter was sent on contrary to the international customs and practices. Others said the US has never had a transparent policy in Afghanistan. Although the people of Afghanistan had welcomed their presence in the country expecting to bring peace and stability, no outcome has gained yet. If we follow the local media, especially social media net-work, it can make a long list of issues and criticism outlined from the letter. Firstly, revelation of this letter from sources close to the United States indicates that the country has violated the international pro-tocol and has blatantly violated the principles of friendship between the two countries. Secondly, the diplomatic custom was not observed in this letter and even political literature was not used correctly in this letter.Thirdly, the US Secretary of State’s letter looked at the issue of peace as a project that had to be done on time. Fourthly, the letter ignores the objective realities of Afghanistan emphasizing on domi-nation of certain ethnic and religious group in the country. Fifthly, the letter does not respect the values that the US government considers itself responsible for its implementation in the world. And last but not last, the tone of this letter, however, is offensive, threaten-ing and on contrary to diplomatic principles.In general, the position of Afghan politicians falls into the last cat-egory. It is said that the recent calls between the US secretary of state, the US national security adviser and Afghan NSA Hamdullah Mohib could not change the Afghan government’s stance on peace and therefore Mr. Blinken produced this blunt letter. Amongst the political reac-tors, the first vice President Amrullah Saleh had a direct and harsh reaction to the letter, saying that it will not change the Afghan gov-ernment’s position on the peace process. He also stressed that as long as the “legitimate demands of the Af-ghan people” are at stake, the government will stand by the basic principle of elections. On the whole, most of the people seem unhappy because the new US administrations have adopted similar to the Tramp’s approach when he marginalized the Afghan government and people in the peace process.

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind

Parimita Mohanty is Program Management Officer of Renewable Energy at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Annette Wallgren is Program Man-agement Officer of Gender and Climate Change at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Women Suffer Sexual Discrimination

Chairman / Editor-in-Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Email: outlookafghanistan@gmail.comPhone: 0093 (799) 005019/777-005019

www.outlookafghanistan.net

The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authers and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan.

Afghan women have suffered severely under patriarchy, mainly during the Taliban’s regime. Their blood is still

spilled and they fell prey to violence and honor-killing on the grounds of their gender. Women are particularly left at the mercy of violence in tribal belts and in Taliban-dominat-ed areas. The Taliban insurgents flagellated women in desert courts and treated them aggressively in one way or another. In suicide bombings, the lifeless bodies of women, as drops of boiling blood trickle down their wounds, fill one with a strong sense of sorrow and disgust.The human rights of women are violated in collective and in-dividual spheres. Their freedoms and social role are curtailed, mainly in villages – where traditional custom holds strong sway.Unsurprisingly, the girls are not entitled to decide whom to live with and it is their parents to choose their life-partners – this is almost common in some rural areas across the country. The birth of female child can hardly force smile to her parents’ lips and it is assumed that they will bear the brunt of discrimi-nation and patriarchal system. On March 8, Woman’s International Day was marked around the world as well as Afghanistan. Nonetheless, violence against women is practiced widely in Afghanistan. After all, the Ministry of Education has ordered that school girls over 12 years of age should not be allowed to perform ceremony in public, but only in women-all gatherings. It has triggered a strong reaction on social media as people, including men and women, criticized the ordered and called it a gender discrimi-nation against women. Reacting to the issue, the civil society also called it against Af-ghanistan’s legal and constitutional law as well as internation-al instruments. Images of abused and helpless Afghan women incessantly flood one’s mind, undermining the significant role of women as agents of change in Afghanistan. In 1920s and 70s, also known as the period of economic and political stability, a large number of Afghan women asserted their rights and continued their education and professional pursuits. These women belonged to a privileged economic background; all the same their role and aspirations offer the world an alternative narrative. Acknowledging the agency, contributions, and strong voice of Afghan women does not undermine the stories of women like Nazia, an 18-year-old Af-ghan woman whose nose and ears were sliced off by her hus-band and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in August 2010, or Sitara, a 30-year-old women whose nose and lips were lopped off by her addict husband in Herat province in 2013 and their audacious spirit, whose story of sufferings is one too many for our world.Despite the progress made, women’s struggle for civic and hu-man rights still has a long way to go. Three decades of war has left many Afghans both eager for change and afraid of it. There are still many instances of ordinary women experiencing domestic violence, being sexually abused, or being forced into marriage. Women in senior leadership roles – such as in parliament or the police – are still being murdered. Some men feel threatened by the presence of women in senior positions. These men see women’s rights as the “westernization” of Afghan culture.To the unmitigated chagrin of Afghan women, Afghanistan’s presidential elections could not mitigate violence against wom-en or prevented violation of their rights and liberties. Women fell victim to gang violence and were raped constantly. In other words, the macabre stories and hackneyed phrases of violence made repeated headlines on national and internation-al newspapers – and continue up to now.Women should no more suffer men’s fractious attitudes, men-tal and physical tortures. The religious guidelines and coun-try’s law should be practiced upon. Patriarchal system should end so that women’s rights and dignity be held in respect. The Constitution of Afghanistan states in Article 22, “Any kind of discrimination and distinction between citizens of Afghani-stan shall be forbidden. The citizens of Afghanistan, man and woman, have equal rights and duties before the law.” Moreover, article 24 asserts, “Liberty is the natural right of human beings. This right has no limits unless affecting others freedoms as well as the public interest, which shall be regulated by law. Liberty and human dignity are inviolable. The state shall respect and protect liberty as well as human dignity.” Since men and women are entitled equally in the Constitution, the government should enforce the law strictly and empower women through safeguarding their rights and dignity. It is hoped that women’s rights are not compromised at the negotiating table and gender discrimination is rooted out from the country.

Recently, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has sent a letter to Afghan politicians, specifically to the president of Afghanistan

and to the Chairman of high peace council urging on acceleration of peace talks and urging on more comprehensive roadmap for the peace process in Afghanistan. The letter had stressed on urgency of peace process warning of worsen-ing security situation in case the US forces completely withdraw from Afghanistan. The US Secretary of State had explained in the letter that their decisions were not finalized about Afghanistan but reached in a conclusion that the peace talks should accelerate through high level diplomatic efforts.The letter also stressed on efforts by Khalilzad to ac-celerate the peace process and to reach a quick ceasefire in Afghanistan. In general, the new approach seems more comprehensive because all the regional stakeholders such as Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, and In-dia are supposed to be engaged with mediation of the UN and host of Turkey as an impartial country in the region. The Antony Blinken’s letter has faced different reactions in Afghani-stan. The ordinary and non-political people think that it is not impor-tant how or who will bring the peace but it is important to put an end to the war as it imposes high expenses on the people of Afghanistan. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also stressed on the same issue stressing that the ongoing war imposing unacceptable expenses on the people of Afghanistan. He talked about a short term plan which would pave the way for 90 day violence reduction plant to prevent from Taliban attacks in the spring season.So, the position of ordinary and non-political people seems con-formist to the new US approach. This plan seems more enchanting to the ordinary people when we imagine the successive failure of the secu-rity forces against the everyday attacks on the heart of large and small city of the country. The second part of people seems more skeptics about this and other plan in the country. This group of people while extremely is unhappy from the current disorders; they prefer the minimum security than no security. They stress that word and action should go ahead together in the peace process. They are afraid of repetition of bitter experiences which happened after the former president of Afghanistan Dr. Najib which eventually led to destruction of everything in the country. Based on this view, we can find many good points in the new US plan but there is no guarantee for preservation of the past achievement which hardly attained in last two decades. The concerns of this group of people are more realizable when we look at the frequent breaches of commitment by the Taliban and their supporters. They had pledged to reduce violence after the release of 5000 prisoners but the outcome were vice versa. They had pledged to disconnect from

By now, most countries in Asia and the Pacific have proposed some sort of post-pandemic recovery package.

Many include investments in sustainability, which the United Nations has repeatedly urged governments to undertake. Some plans currently include only budget totals, with policymakers yet to allocate the spend-ing.Regardless of their current level of detail, all of the region’s recovery programs omit a key demographic: rural women. Unless governments quickly bring a gender perspective to their spending priorities, this large and vital group will be left behind, and the economic impact of official programs will fall short of their potential.Such an outcome would add insult to literal injury. Rural economies, which already had a weaker financial cushion and less access to public services than urban areas, have been besieged on three fronts: by the COVID-19 pandemic, the related economic downturn, and the relent-less advance of climate change. Moreover, women have suffered more than men from the pandemic’s knock-on effects, incurring greater economic losses and mental-health burdens.The key to fostering a post-pandemic recovery that benefits rural wom-en is to create green jobs that can weather climate-change shocks and revitalize entrepreneurship in sectors like agriculture and energy. Here, small and medium-size enterprises run by women can play a vital role.Modest changes to how governments allocate and prioritize recovery funds, particularly in renewable energy investment, can improve the lives of tens of millions. And in some larger countries such as India, where lockdowns, disrupt-ed supply chains, and loss of urban livelihoods have triggered a reverse migration to villages, such adjustments will benefit far more people.Supporting green energy is an easy target for recovery packages. Re-newable energy development has proven to be resilient throughout the pandemic. Even with delays in sectors like transport and construction, new re-newable-energy projects have proliferated. South Korea, for example, recently announced that it will invest $43 billion to build offshore wind-farms.Electricity output from renewables increased by almost 7% in 2020, but this does not tell the whole story. One might intuitively think that wom-en and men benefit from renewable energy infrastructure in basically the same way, but the reality is very different.In Asia and the Pacific, it is usually women who are actually using en-ergy in a household. But the system is not designed for them. In some countries, such as Ban-gladesh, women don’t have access to renewable energy, because it is de-ployed in areas traditionally reserved for men, such as public markets.To rectify this, governments can provide incentives like grants and soft

The Reaction of Afghan people to the Blinken’s Letter

Rural Women Can Drive Green Recoveries

By: Mohammad Zahir Akbari

By: Parimita Mohanty and Annette Wallgren

Page 3 March, 13, 2021 Editorial and Opinions

Mohammad Zahir Akbari is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at mohammadzahirakbari@gmail.com

Page 4 March, 13, 2021

Following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s letter to Ghani and other key ro-leplayers along with the plan to establish a transitional government, Ghani appears to be working to bring together political figures in order to establish a unified plan for peace talks. (ATN)

(5) Ban on Girl Students…children’s rights instead of promoting gender discrimination.According to the Ministry of Education, the ban was imposed in compliance with an order from the National Assembly and suggestions of several families. (Pajhwok)

(6) Afghan MP Fatima Aziz…information published about her on the Wolesi Jirga website, Aziz was a surgeon and was born in 1973 in the northern province of Kunduz. Fatima Aziz served as a medical doctor for 12 years before she started her career as a lawmaker. Aziz was one of the first women to be elected for the parliament in the country’s parliamentary election in 2005 after years of civil war. (TOLO NEWS)

(7) ‘91 Health Workers…run laboratories are functioning in the country for coronavirus test, while health ministry is planning to operationalize at least one laboratory in every province in the coming three months.The existing laboratories have the capac-ity of 8,500 tests daily and efforts were underway to enhance this capacity. (Pa-jhwok)

(8) MoD Rejects Claims…Almar three months ago.Security sources in the district meanwhile said a number of security and defense force members in the district had been under siege but that the siege was broken Thursday and the trapped security force members had been rescued.The Ministry of Defense meanwhile de-nied claims that Almar district had fallen to the Taliban and said in a statement that ANDSF conducted an operation in the district and cleared large areas of Taliban. The MoD emphasized that the district is under ANDSF control.“The published news about the fall of Al-mar district of Faryab province is incor-rect. ANDSF conducted an operation in the district and cleared off vast areas of Taliban and the district is under control of ANDSF,” MoD said in a statement.Provincial Governor Naqibullah Fayeq also denied reports of the district having fallen to the Taliban but said he has de-cided to move the staff out of the govern-ment district office due to security threats.“Today’s operation, which was aimed at rescuing soldiers, [resulted in] 36 Taliban being killed in the area; the enemy line was defeated and the Taliban lost the abil-ity to confront the security forces. The op-erations of the commandos continue and tonight the remaining parts of Almar Ba-zaar will be cleared of the enemy,” Fayeq said.The Taliban has not yet commented. (ATN)

(9) Unregistered QNET…work begins. The company ensures to in-troduce new and reliable persons to the marketing branch of the company.He said: “When you come to the compa-ny and pick the field of your choice, the company offers TC bank account. The ac-count has two angles, right and left. You pick two trusted persons for the right and left position — means every membership holder should introduce two more reli-able persons. They can also introduce two more persons after getting TC account and introduce more people.”According to Qasim every individual who introduces two people to the com-pany, he gets $200 and the process goes on by introducing more people until one person becomes team leader. The limit for becoming team leader is introducing 16 people.He said team leader gets weekly $6,700 and monthly $27,200 and this is a huge amount.Video recording from a training sessionNewcomers in quest of earning moneyArastaRezae, who recently came from Herat province to find a job, said. “From the past one year I am looking for a job but could not find one. Finally a friend in-troduced me to this company.”She said she got necessary training from this company and she totally believed it. “Initially I was doubtful. I thought this company is deceiving people, and then I came here and got training in network marketing. Now I have total confidence that this com-pany serves people.”She said QNET Company is registered with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce and pays tax to the Ministry of Finance.Arasta gave $2,000 to QNET Company in order to earn more money and go abroad. She added the company had pledged by introducing two more people she would be given $200 and other privileges.Sakeena from Bamyan province and a professional midwife said due to unem-ployment she had no other option but to

priority.Concerns over Senkaku IslandsChina has built and militarised man-made islands in the South China Sea and is pressing its claim to virtually all of the sea’s key fisheries and waterways. (Al-jazeera)

(19) Malaysia Defends…Twitter posted a government circular pro-hibiting civil servants from making nega-tive public statements, or sharing or dis-tributing any content deemed detrimental to government policies or its image.In January, parliament was suspended after King Al-Sultan Abdullah declared a state of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19, a move that the opposition decried as an attempt by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to retain control amid a power struggle. Malaysia has reported 320,939 COVID-19 infections as of Friday, with 1,203 deaths, the third highest case-load in the region behind Indonesia and the Philippines. (Reuters)

(20) Italy to Impose…the government has introduced restric-tions at a regional level, depending on case numbers.It was not immediately clear how the decree would affect churchgoers in the Catholic country. However, it was expect-ed to be similar to provisions last Christ-mas when people were allowed to go to churches in their neighbourhoods.A Vatican source said Pope Francis’ Eas-ter Eve Mass likely would be held a few hours earlier so that faithful could get home in time for Italy’s 10 p.m. curfew and that the pontiff’s Holy Week activities before Easter would be held in the Vati-can with a limited number of participants.Unlike last year, the new decree, which was expected to be approved by Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet later on Friday, allows for limited visits to friends and relatives over the Easter holiday - for example to see elderly parents. (Reuters)

(21) U.S. Joins West…to work without fear of intimidation, ha-rassment, arrest, detention or any other form of reprisal,” Finland’s ambassador Kirsti Kauppi said, reading out the state-ment to the Geneva forum.“That includes lifting travel bans and as-set freezes against human rights defend-ers – including EIPR staff,” she said, refer-ring to three activists from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights arrested last November after briefing senior diplomats in Cairo.Egypt’s foreign ministry had said EIPR was operating illegally, an accusa-tion the group denies.The trio have been provisionally released, but the arrests galvanised support for the move in the council, activists and dip-lomats said.“It’s been seven years since there has been any kind of collective ac-tion on Egypt at the Human Rights Coun-cil, all the while the situation has declined sharply - this is a crucial step,” Kevin Whelan, Amnesty International represen-tative to the UN in Geneva, told Reuters. (Reuters)

(22) Tesla in…southern city of Bengaluru, a hub for global technology companies.Tata Motors Ltd, the carmaking unit of Tata Sons, last week denied bit.ly/3kKLz1M any tie-up with Tesla, after media reports suggested the two compa-nies were discussing a partnership. (Re-uters)

(23) Senegal: Anti-French…this arrangement, known as “Francea-frique”, is at the root of anti-French dis-content because it benefits France at the expense of Senegal, where nearly 40 per cent of the population lives in poverty.Other observers point instead to the po-litical rise of opposition figure 46-year-old Sonko, whose arrest en route to court on March 3 triggered the protests. Crit-ics allege that his fiery rhetoric may have whipped up his young supporters into a frenzy of anti-French rage.French busi-nesses targeted by protesters included TOTAL petrol stations, Orange mobile phone booths, Eiffage toll gates, and 21 Auchan supermarkets in Dakar, all part of a French sector that accounts for 25 percent of Senegalese gross domestic product (GDP). (Aljazeera)

(24) Myanmar Junta…disobedience since the coup toppled Suu Kyi’s government Feb. 1 just as it was to start its second term. The takeover reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in the Southeast Asian nation after five de-cades of military rule.Local press reports and posts on social media on Thursday said there were six deaths in Myaing, a town in the central Midway Region, and one each in Yangon, Mandalay, Bago and Taungoo. In many cases, photos of what were said to be the bodies of the dead were posted online.Security forces have attacked previ-ous protests with live ammunition as well, leading to the deaths of at least 60 people. They have also employed tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and stun grenades. Many demonstrators have been brutally beaten. (AP)

(1) Afghan Media Takes…matter of grave concern for journalists.“There are senior journalists and report-ers who left the country, and among them it is said that 15 women [journalists] also left the country,” said Mujib Khelwatgar, head of NAI.NAI says there have been three attacks on the families of journalists in the last two weeks, leaving several dead and wound-ed.However, Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian said government is working on these cases.“About 60 people have been arrested in connection with assassinations and vio-lence against journalists, and their cases have been handed over to the prosecu-tor’s office,” said Arian.On the other hand, female reporters in the capital say that no threats can silence their voices.Khadija, a reporter for RTA Television says she has faced several threats, but has ignored the threats and is intent on con-tinuing her work.“Our families are also being threatened, and I, as a journalist, want to say that we are not stopping our work,” said Khadija.This comes after the Afghanistan Journal-ists Center (AFJC) and 40 other civil soci-ety organizations from around the world called on the UN Security Council and UNAMA on Wednesday to support the Afghan media community by calling on all parties to stop violence against jour-nalists in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015).The AFJC said in a letter to the UN, and to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) head Deborah Lyons, that the council and all parties to the letter “are deeply concerned by the torrent of targeted killings of journalists in Afghanistan since early 2020.” (ATN)

(2) Withdrawal of Troops…training depended upon 18,000 contrac-tors and trainers who supplement the al-most 10,000 U.S. and NATO forces in the country.Under the terms of the US-Taliban deal signed in Doha in February last year, those key personnel are required to either stop work or withdraw along with U.S. forces.“The Afghan government relies heavily on these foreign contractors and trainers to function,” Sopko said.“This may be more devastating to the ef-fectiveness of the Afghan security forces than a withdrawal of our remaining troops,” he added, noting that “no Af-ghan airframe can be sustained as combat effective for more than a few months in the absence of contractor support.”Sopko also said that underlying all of this, is the fact that the Afghan government still cannot sustain itself despite $143 bil-lion in U.S. assistance to help rebuild the country and considerable aid from other donors.“This has been a horrible waste of [U.S.] taxpayer money, in many regards,” Sop-ko said.“It may not be an overstatement that if foreign assistance is withdrawn and peace negotiations fail, Taliban forces could be at the gates of Kabul in short or-der.” (ATN)

(3) US, Others Confirm…Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad had likewise confirmed his par-ticipation.On March 11, the US Department of State declined to specify whether US officials would take part in the consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow.On March 9, Kabulov told TASS that Rus-sia had invited the United States, China, Pakistan, representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban group (out-lawed in Russia), as well as Afghan politi-cal figures, to Moscow for consultations on a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told reporters at a joint news conference with Russia’s and Turkey’s top diplomats Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu that Doha had re-ceived an invitation from Russia to take part in a meeting on Afghanistan in Mos-cow. (Pajhwok)

(4) Ghani Meets…Mujadadi, a jihadist; some members of parliament; the Supreme Court chief jus-tice, and the president’s two deputies.“The meeting focused on the general se-curity situation, strengthening the na-tional consensus, and the continuation of consultative meetings,” said Dawa Khan Menapal, the deputy presidential spokes-man.However a number of political figures who attended the meeting said it was more focused on creating a single plan for the Ankara summit which is expected to be held on March 27.“The atmosphere at the meeting was such that all political leaders and even govern-ment leaders called for peace, called for an immediate end to the war, and decided to work on a peace plan to reach a con-clusion at the Ankara summit soon,” said Satar Murad, a close ally of Atta Noor.

join QNET.She said company officials told her: “In-dividual who gets the membership of QNET has the right to reconsider his/her decision within 15 days. If an individual decides not to work with the company he/she should leave without refunding his membership fee.”When asked why she got the membership of the company she said: “To earn more money and have a bright future I came and got the membership of this compa-ny.”Sakeena said she was introduced to the company by a friend. “I was told a foreign company is there with huge revenue and provides more money in little time.”Deceived youth:Suhaila Karimi, a graduate of Herat Sci-ence Faculty, said: “Las year my friend in-troduced me to this company to find work and money. I was just graduated from university and was in search of work so I accepted the offer happily.” She said after paying 9,000 afs I got the membership of this company in Herat.“After getting training I was offered some packages and I chose one in which I had to introduce one person. By introducing one person four dollars are added to my account and by not introducing a person three dollars added to my account. This is what I was told so I was very happy.”“I was told that when your account bal-ance reaches $50, you can get it but un-fortunately for four months nothing was added to my account. When I complained I was told that there is some problem with the system. Another four months gone and now nearly one year has passed but nothing is added to my account.”She said some of her friends are still members of the company who have no way to leave or stay because they made huge investment in the company and was compelled to recruit more people through advertisement.QNET also published its advertisements under the title of ‘Creating jobs for unem-ployed youths’ in its Facebook page tar-geting Afghanistan.Meanwhile, SakinaMubariz, who regis-tered with QNET’s branch in ShahidMaz-ari Square in Kabul two years ago? Said that she was introduced to the organiza-tion by her trustable friends.She said that she paid 100,000 afghanis to the organization for what she was offered including travel packages of Turkey, China, Europe and US, where the QNET claims has branches.“They did not tell me earlier that I cannot become a leader or an officer, or take ad-vantage of the package if I do not intro-duce 16 more people, they in the begin-ning told us that we along with five of our family members can travel to any coun-try by obtaining this package,” Mubariz added.Regretting her registration with QNET, Mubariz said, “My family was unaware, I borrowed the money from my friends, now I regret, but I can do nothing now, they took 100,000 afghanis from me. I dis-puted with LedriNajibaand and asked her to give my money back, I told her that I do not want to work, but she told me that it is impossible for her to give my money back.”She said that those people who get mem-bership of the organization were moti-vated that they will become wealthy in a short period of time, but all these state-ments were decieving.Mubariz said that they were told to en-courage other people to get membership of QNET and anyone introducing a new person to the organization, their accounts would be deposited with money.BaqirMathari, a resident of Dasht-i-Barchi area of Kabul and a teacher in an educa-tion course, said that his brother who was jobless paid 30,000 afghanis as member-ship fee to QNET two years ago, and in return he obtained some cosmetics such as a watch and a bag for sale.He said that the price of products his brother received from the organization was higher compared to the market rates and his brother suffered loss in the deal.Mathari asked security officials to stop the activities of the organization as it mis-used joblessness of youths and deceived them. (Pajhwok)

(10) IECC Member…Election Commission (IEC) and the In-dependent Electoral Complaints Com-mission (IECC)--need to appoint their head leader after every two years. (TOLO NEWS)

(11) Kidnappers Demand…and besides other issues, Abdul Rauf case was also discussed. (Pajhwok)

(12) Iranian Embassy…watchman of Bagh-e-Daud township and took his gun away.Officials at Wazir Akbar Khan hospital have said that every single night they treat three or four people who survive criminal attacks in Kabul.On Wednesday night, doctors treated five wounded people who had survived crim-inal attacks. (TOLO NEWS)

(13) Iraqi Woman…if someone gave me the chance to leave this country, I would never come back.”Years after Iraqi forces declared victory over IS and drove militants from the area, Abdallah’s disabled daughter still can-not attend proper schools, homes are still shattered and in ruins. Jobs are hard to come by, and none of Abdallah’s relatives abroad plan to return.Iraq’s Christian population, which has existed since the time of Christ, has dwindled from around 1.5 million before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to just a few hundred thousand today. Estimates put the current population between 250,000-500,000.As churches and Christian communities were increasingly targeted by extrem-ist groups at the height of Iraq’s sectar-ian war that followed the invasion, the country saw an exodus of Christians. Even more fled after the brutal 2014 IS onslaught that emptied out entire Chris-tian villages across the northern plains of Ninevah. (AP)

(14) Kazakhstan Set…– there are not enough coronavirus tests to meet demand, pharmacies are seeing shortages of medication, there are queues at polyclinics and hospitals are overfull”. Referring to Kazakhstan’s inclusion on a recent WHO list of countries seeing a “very significant resurgence” of CO-VID-19, Toqaev himself said that inter-national observers had characterised the situation in the country as “critical, and on the verge of becoming unmanageable” and stated that such an appraisal harms Kazakhstan’s international reputation. (Fergana)

(15) Dozens of Students…phone, said he had heard sporadic gun-shots at around 11:30 p.m.“We were not panicking, thinking that it was a normal military exercise being conducted at the Nigerian Defence Acad-emy,” he said.“We came out for dawn prayers, at 5:20 a.m., and saw some of the students, teach-ers and security personnel all over the school premises. They told us that gun-men raided the school and abducted some of the students.”Salisu said he had seen military person-nel taking the remaining students into the academy.On Friday morning, relatives of students gathered at the gates of the college, which was surrounded by around 20 army trucks. (Reuters)

(16) Turkey Says it…Anadolu news agency: “We have contacts with Egypt both on the intelligence level and the foreign ministry level ... Contacts at the diplomatic level have started.”Relations with Cairo have been frosty since Egypt’s army ousted Mohammed Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elect-ed president and an ally of Erdogan, after protests in 2013.An Egyptian security official received a phone call from a Turkish intelligence of-ficial on Thursday, setting out Turkey’s desire for a meeting in Cairo to discuss economic, political and diplomatic coop-eration, the Egyptian intelligence sources said.The Egyptian official welcomed the call and promised to respond as soon as pos-sible, the Egyptian sources said. (Reuters)

(17) UK Economy…variant of the virus – and I know this is a cause of concern for many,” British fi-nance minister Rishi Sunak said in a state-ment.He added that the vaccine rollout and his budget announced last week were reasons to be hopeful.Samuel Tombs, an economist with Pan-theon Macroeconomics, said Friday’s data and other more recent indicators suggested the economy might now be on course to fall by a less severe two percent in the first quarter.The BoE is expected to keep its stimulus programmes on hold at the end of its March meeting next Thurs-day as it predicts that Britain’s vaccina-tion programme – Europe’s fastest – will trigger a bounce-back in the economy in the coming months.The ONS data showed exports and im-ports from Britain to the EU plunged by the most on record although the ONS said a difference in the way the figures were gathered was causing a delay to some data.Exports of goods to the EU, exclud-ing non-monetary gold and other pre-cious metals, slumped by 40.7 percent. Imports fell by 28.8 percent. (Aljazeera)

(18) Japan PM Suga…to the Indo-Pacific region.”Suga has had online talks with Biden and on Friday was set to join a virtual summit of the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US, a group known as “the Quad” that shares concerns about China’s grow-ing economic and military might.Friday’s summit is the first time the leaders of the four countries will meet together.The Biden administration has said con-fronting China’s growing economic and military influence is a top foreign policy

President Win Myint have been detained on less serious allegations and the new accusa-tion was clearly aimed at discrediting Suu Kyi and perhaps charg-ing her with a serious crime.Military spokes-man Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said at a news conference in the capi-tal that former Yangon Division Chief Min-ister Phyo Min Thein had admitted giving the money and gold to Suu Kyi, but presented no evidence.Myan-mar has been roiled by protests, strikes and other acts of civil ...(More on P4)...(24)

Tesla in Talks with India’s Tata Power for EV Charging

Infrastructure: Report

Senegal: Anti-French Sentiment on the Rise as Protests Continue

U.S. Joins West in Rare Criticism of Egypt on Human

Rights Abuses

BENGALURU- Tesla Inc is exploring an ar-rangement with Indian conglomerate Tata Sons’ power generation unit, Tata Power, to set up charging infrastruc-ture for electric vehicles in the country, CNBC-TV18 reported on Fri-day, citing sources.Shares of Tata Power rose 5.5% to their best closing level since June 9, 2014 after the report, which comes as the Palo Alto-based electric-car maker gears up for an India launch later this year with plans to im-port and sell its Model 3 electric sedan in India.Tesla will set up an elec-

Scores of French-owned businesses across the Senegalese capital, Da-kar, are still coming to terms with the devas-tation of smashed win-dows, broken liquor bottles and burned-out premises after days of nationwide anti-gov-ernment protests in the West African country.French supermarkets, petrol stations and mo-bile phone booths were torched and looted as largely peaceful pro-tests against rampant inequality, govern-ment corruption and stringent coronavirus restrictions morphed into anger against the former colonial power.The latest protests were

MANDALAY- Myan-mar’s security forces shot to death at least 10 people protesting the military’s coup Thurs-day, spurning a U.N. Security Council ap-peal to stop using lethal force and as an inde-pendent U.N. expert cited growing evidence of crimes against hu-manity.The military also lodged a new allegation against the deposed government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, al-leging that in 2017-18 she was illegally given $600,000 and gold bars worth slightly less by a political ally. She and

GENEVA- Western countries on Friday called on Egypt to end the prosecution of ac-tivists, journalists and perceived political op-ponents under counter-terrorism laws, and to unconditionally release them.The United States, which has observer sta-tus at the U.N. Human Rights Council, was among 31 signatories of the joint statement on Egypt, the first since 2014, which called on the government to lift curbs on freedoms of expression and assem-bly.Egypt is a close ally of the United States,

tric-car manufacturing unit in the southern In-dian state of Karnataka, according to a govern-ment document seen by ReutersThe talks between Tata Power and Tesla are in the initial stages and no arrangements have been finalised yet, the report said..Neither of the two com-panies were not im-mediately available for comment.In January, the U.S. electric-car maker in-corporated Tesla Mo-tors India and Energy Private Ltd with its registered office in the ...(More on P4)...(22)

sparked after the arrest of an outspoken oppo-sition leader who had been accused of rape. Ousmane Sonko, who is popular with the country’s youth, has since been released on bail but the rape charg-es remain.The French presence is an every-day reality for the Sen-egalese people, with French troops visibly garrisoned in the capi-tal, which is also home to France’s largest em-bassy in sub-Saharan Africa.The country still uses the colonial-era CFA franc currency and retains French as an official language.Some critics say...(More on P4)...(23)

but the Biden admin-istration has vowed to speak out about human rights violations and abuses of the rule of law worldwide.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power in 2013, has overseen an exten-sive crackdown on po-litical dissent that has steadily tightened in re-cent years. Sisi has said there are no political prisoners in Egypt and that stability and secu-rity are paramount. “We urge Egypt to guarantee space for civil society – including human rights defend-ers ...(More on P4)...(21)

Myanmar Junta Kills More Protesters, adds Suu Kyi

Accusation

Page 5 March, 13, 2021 International Page

Italy to Impose Nationwide Coronavirus Lockdown over Easter Weekend - Draft Decree

gain ground.The country was placed under its first nationwide lockdown a year ago, which lasted 10 weeks. A second lockdown was im-posed at Christmas. In recent months, ...(More on P4)...(20)

hard by the pandemic, saw infections rise by 10% this week compared with the week before, and officials have warned that the situa-tion is deteriorating as new, highly contagious variants

ROME- Italy will be placed under a nationwide lockdown over the Easter weekend for the second year running, a draft decree law seen by Reuters said on Friday, underlining the struggle to stem a fresh surge in coronavirus cases.Non-essential shops will be shut-tered nationwide from April 3-5. On those days, Italians will only be al-lowed to leave their homes for work, health or emergency reasons.However, a number of regions in-cluding wealthy Lombardy, which is centred on Italy’s financial capi-tal Milan, look certain to be placed under full lockdown from Monday because of the recent jump in infec-tions and hospitalisations.“I hope that this will be the last sacri-fice asked of our citizens,” said Lom-bardy President Attilio Fontana.Italy, the first Western country hit

KADUNA- Gunmen in northwest Ni-geria kidnapped around 30 students overnight from a forestry college near a military academy, three students said on Friday, in the fourth mass school abduction since December.The Federal College of Forestry Mech-anization sits on the outskirts of Ka-duna city, capital of Kaduna state, in a region roamed by armed gangs, who often travel on motorcycles.Kaduna state’s security commissioner, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attack but did not say how many students had been taken.Sani Danjuma, a stu-dent at the college, said those abducted were all female students, but authori-ties were unable to confirm this. Other students said some of the young wom-en had managed to escape during the attack.Local resident Haruna Salisu, speaking by ...(More on P4)...(15)

The United Kingdom’s economy shrank by less than feared in January as the country went back into a corona-virus lockdown, official data showed, but trade with the European Union was hit hard at the start of the coun-try’s new, post-Brexit trading relation-ship.Gross domestic product in January was 2.9 percent lower than in December, the Office for National Statistics said.Economists polled by Reuters had ex-pected a contraction of 4.9 percent.Britain’s economy is likely to shrink by four percent in the first quarter of 2021, due mostly to the latest lockdown but also because of disruption caused by new, post-Brexit rules for trade with the European Union, the Bank of Eng-land said last month.“Today’s figures highlight the impact the pandemic continued to have on our economy at the start of the year as we tackled the new ...(More on P4)...(17)

UNITED NATIONS- The United Na-tions chief criticized the “many ex-amples of vaccine nationalism and vaccine hoarding” as well as side deals with COVID-19 vaccine manu-facturers that undermine access to all people in the world.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement marking one year since the U.N. World Health Organi-zation declared COVID-19 a pan-demic that “the global vaccination campaign represents the greatest moral test of our times.”Ensuring that all people are vac-cinated -- and “many low-income

turing capacity around the world,” he said. “That effort must start now.”The secretary-general paid tribute to health workers and other essen-tial workers who have kept societies running.“I salute all those who have stood up to the deniers and disinfor-mation, and have followed science and safety protocols,” he said. “You have helped save lives.”Guterres also commended “women, men and young people everywhere for adapt-ing to work, learn and live in new ways.”“So many lives have been lost,” he said. “Economies have been upended and societies left reeling. The most vulnerable have suffered the most. Those left behind are being left even further behind.”Some 117 million people are con-firmed to have been infected by the coronavirus, and according to Johns Hopkins, more than 2.6 million peo-ple have died.Guterres said the Unit-ed Nations will keep pressing for affordable vaccines available for eve-ryone and a recovery that improves the economy. (AP)

countries have not yet received a single dose” -- is essential to restart the global economy “and help the world move from locking down societies to locking down the virus,” he said. Guterres reit-

erated his call for COVID-19 vaccines to be seen as “a global public good.”“The world needs to unite to produce and distribute sufficient vaccines for all, which means at least doubling manufac-

pedite enforcement, investi-gation and prosecution by authorities, who would oth-erwise be hampered by old laws that are ill equipped to deal with the rapid expan-sion of social media.“Our interest is in fighting COVID-19 and we will do whatever it takes ... we take cognisance of the fact that we have to be fair, we have to be just in carrying out our duties,” Saifuddin told a news conference.But opposition lawmakers and civil society groups said the new law was too sweep-ing and could be used to in-still fear among the public about criticising the govern-ment.Earlier on Friday, the prime minister’s department on ...(More on P4)...(19)

KUALA LUMPUR- Malay-sia’s government on Friday defended a new law aimed at tackling rampant fake news related to COVID-19 and an ongoing state of emergency, as critics warned it could be used to silence dissent and curtail free speech.The emergency ordinance, which took effect on Friday, will make it an offence to publish or reproduce any “wholly or partly false” con-tent related to the pandemic or the emergency declara-tion, prescribing hefty fines and jail terms of up to six years.Emergency laws do not need parliamentary ap-proval.Communications Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the ordinance would help ex-

Malaysia Defends Coronavirus Fake News Law amid Outcry

Japan PM Suga to Visit US in April for Summit with Biden

outside Abdallah’s house, kill-ing her son and two cousins playing in the front yard.The pope heard Abdallah’s testimony at a church ceremo-ny in Qaraqosh last Sunday.But just days after the pontiff’s visit — meant to give hope to Iraq’s dwindling Christian community and encourage its members to stay — Abdallah doubts the realities of life in Iraq will change.She said she would also leave if given a chance.“The pope doesn’t have Mo-ses’ staff, he can’t part the seas and solve our very difficult problems,” she told The As-sociated Press over the phone on Thursday. “If I had the re-sources or ...(More on P4)...(13)

Iraqi Woman Who Met the Pope Sees Little Chance for Change

Islamic State group militants.Back in 2014, her son’s death alerted the town’s Christian community to the impending IS onslaught. A mortar shell fired by the militants as they approached Qaraqosh struck

BAGHDAD- The story of Doha Sabah Abdallah’s personal tragedy and loss deeply reso-nated with Pope Francis during his historic visit last weekend to the northern Iraqi town of Qaraqosh, once devastated by

meeting on the fight against the coronavirus.He said that the interde-partmental commission on the virus has failed to take charge of the situation and that all decisions on the fight against the pandemic will therefore now be devised by a state commission under the leadership of the coun-try’s prime minister.As reported yesterday and last week, rising COVID-19 cases in Kazakhstan have led to concerns that the coun-try’s healthcare system may be on the brink of collapse. Last night, state television declared that the “the situa-tion with the coronavirus in Kazakhstan has gotten out of control ...(More on P4)...(14)

Kazakhstan looks set to re-introduce a strict lockdown due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus in the country. President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev yesterday ordered a new government commission to draw up the relevant plans for such a move, the website of the Akorda reports (in Russian).“With the aim of taking emergency measures to sta-bilise the current epidemio-logical situation, I am tasking the State Commission within a two-day period to draw up and report back to me with proposals on introducing a strict lockdown similar to that which was in place be-tween March and May of this year,” Toqaev stated at a

Kazakhstan Set to Return to Strict General Lockdown

Dozens of Students Abducted from

Forestry College in Northwest Nigeria

UK Economy Shrank by Less than Expected in January

Turkey Says it Has Restarted Diplomatic Contacts with Egypt

and Ankara have sought to influence events in various hotspots and stand on opposing sides in a Mediterranean mar-itime dispute.Two Egyptian intel-ligence sources said Turkey had proposed a meeting to discuss co-operation, but suggested the contacts were still only preliminary.President Tayyip Er-dogan said the contacts were “not at the highest level, but right below the highest level. We hope that we can continue this process with Egypt much more strongly.”Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by state-owned ...(More on P4)...(16)

a Muslim Brotherhood president close to An-kara.Any thaw in ties between the two regional power-houses could have re-percussions around the Middle East, where Cairo

ANKARA- Turkey has resumed diplomatic contacts with Egypt and wants to further coop-eration, Turkish lead-ers said on Friday, after years of tension since the Egyptian army toppled

Japan has announced that Prime Min-ister Yoshihide Suga will travel to Washington next month for his first face-to-face summit with President Joe Biden after he and his entourage com-plete their COVID-19 vaccinations.Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Suga is expected to be the first foreign leader that Biden meets

with since he took office in January. The trip is expected to take place in the first half of April.Kato said the two leaders are expected to discuss pandemic measures, cli-mate change and other regional con-

cerns including North Korea.The meeting is also likely to touch on China’s escalating assertiveness in the East and South China seas, which have become a growing concern for Tokyo and Washington.

“We hope to further strengthen our bilateral relations including the Japan-US alliance and to confirm our close cooperation toward achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Kato said. “It would be a good opportunity for us to show the rest of the world the close unity of the Japan-US alliance and the US commitment ...(More on P4)...(18)

UN Chief Blasts Vaccine Nationalism, Hoarding, Side Deals

Kabul Bamiyan Herat Mazar Kandahar Ghazni JalalabadRain Rain andsnow

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www.thedailyafghanistan.net@The.Daily.AfghanistanThedailyafghanistan@yahoo.com0093 799-005019/ 777-005019In front of Habibia High School,District 6, Kabul, Afghanistan

Back Page Saturday March, 13, 2021

Rashid Dostum; Sayed Mansur Naderi, head of the National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan and leader of Ismailis in the country; Mohammad Mohaqiq, the president’s senior adviser; former Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor; former vice president Mohammad Younus Qanooni former governor Juma Khan Hamdard; Zabiullah...

In Afghanistan, over 314,000 people have conducted corona-virus test and the positive ration among them was 18 percent.Sixty-seven percent of people died from coronavirus are 50 to 79 years old. Among those tested positive for the virus 67 percent are male and 33 percent are women.Twenty-two state...

and freedoms of children was against the general principles of human rights, the conven-tion and other laws of the land, the panel insisted.“Education, freedom of expres-sion and access to artistic skills are among fundamental rights of all children,” the commis-sion added.The watchdog asked the Ministry of Education to preserve...

KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani hosted a meeting Thursday of high-ranking Afghan of-ficials and other influen-tial individuals in order to formulate a compre-hensive plan for the up-coming peace summit in Ankara, Turkey.According to the Presidential Palace (ARG), Ghani hopes to secure national consensus to strengthen government’s posi-tion in the talks.ARG said that the meeting was attended by Abdullah Ab-dullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconcilia-tion; former Mujahideen leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf; former vice president Marshal Abdul

KABUL - Over 90 health work-ers have died from coronavirus in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said on Friday.Incepted in the Wuhan city of China, the respiratory virus spread world-wide, including Afghanistan, and affected over 118 million people so far.According to the global sources, 600,000 people have died from coronavirus and around 90 mil-lion have recovered.The public health ministry said that nearly 50,900 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the country in which 2,451 have died while 50,000 had re-covered so far.

KABUL - The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Thursday slammed as illegal a Ministry of Education ban on schoolgirls singing and per-forming in public.A day earlier, the ministry an-nounced banning girls 12 years old and above from singing the national anthem or other group songs in mixed company.In reaction to the ministry de-cision, AIHRC said the restric-tion was violative of Afghan laws, child rights and the Af-ghanistan’s constitution.A statement from the rights watchdog said: “All boys and girls can exercise their rights equally and freely in accord-ance with the law.”Any restriction on the rights

Ghani Meets with Key Afghans to Discuss Ankara Summit

‘91 Health Workers Died from Coronavirus in Afghanistan’

MoD Rejects Claims That Faryab District Has Fallen to Taliban

Ban on Girl Students Singing in Public Illegal: AIHRC

Commemorating 20 Years Since the Destruction of The Bamiyan Buddhas

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Afghan MP Fatima Aziz Dies of Illness

at 47

KABUL - Fatima Aziz, an MP from Kunduz province, passed away due to an ill-ness at the age of 47years old, the head of the parlia-ment’s secretariat Abdul Qadir Zazai said on Friday.According to her colleagues, she was battling cancer and was under treatment in Swiss.She represented her prov-ince in the Wolesi Jirga, the Afghan lower house of parliament, from 2005 to 2021. According to...

BAMIYAN - The empty niches of the two giant Buddhas in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan are a constant reminder of what the country lost in March, 20 years ago – a tragic event that was broadcast across the globe.The act, by the Taliban, led to a global recognition of the need to protect cultural heritage at risk and today, these niches are inscribed on the World Herit-age List as part of the “Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley” World Heritage property.Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assis-tant Director-General for Culture, said on Thursday that although the destruction of heritage and the plundering of artefacts has taken place throughout the ages, the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas represented an impor-tant turning point for the interna-tional community.A deliberate act by the then ruling Taliban of destruction, motivated by an extremist ideology that aimed to destroy culture, identity and history, the loss of the Bud-dhas revealed how the destruc-tion of heritage could be used as a weapon against local popula-tions, he said.In a statement issued Thursday by UNESCO, Ottone said the destruction of the Buddhas high-lighted the close links between

heritage safeguarding and the well-being of people and commu-nities.“It reminded us that defending cultural diversity is not a luxury, but rather fundamental to build-ing more peaceful societies,” the statement read.Since the destruction of the Bud-dhas of Bamiyan, the Afghan authorities and the international community, including UNESCO, have worked tirelessly to safe-guard the rich cultural and natu-ral heritage of Afghanistan, which

goes back thousands of years.Over the past few years, more than $27 million has been invest-ed in the conservation and sta-bilization of the Bamiyan World Heritage property, the empower-ment of local communities, the re-vitalization of intangible cultural heritage, and the construction of a Cultural Centre for Bamiyan ded-icated to creativity, among other activities, said Ottone.International partners have helped stabilize the niches that were in danger of collapsing.

Now, after more than 15 years, the consolidation of the eastern Bud-dha niche has been completed, while urgent work is progressing to safeguard the western niche, thanks to funding from Japan, he stated. “As we mark 20 years since the destruction in Bamiyan, we at UNESCO reiterate our sup-port to the Afghan people and re-inforce our commitment to stand together with people everywhere to safeguard cultural heritage as an embodiment of our common humanity,” said Ottone. (ATN)

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FARYAB - Faryab Provincial Council members on Thursday claimed Almar district in the province had fallen to the Tali-ban but the Ministry of Defense said there was no truth in these reports.According to Faryab council of-ficials, government forces were under siege for several days in Almar but eventually withdrew after widespread attacks by the Taliban.They said the district fell once

troops withdrew and that both sides sustained heavy casual-ties.However, other officials said that security forces retreated from the district center in order to “prevent casualties of civil-ians and local forces.“Security forces surrounded the Taliban but they managed to escape and move to Khawja Os-man base which is 4 km away from the center of Almar,” local sources said.

In addition to this, Faryab police said that acting district police chief Mohammad Amin Patang crossed sides on Wednesday af-ternoon and joined the Taliban.Abdul Karim Yourish, a spokesman for the provincial police chief also said Patang had joined the Taliban. He said this was due to the intensity of the Taliban attacks.Yourish said Patang was appointed as acting po-lice chief of...