Kabul [Afghanistan], December 6 (ANI): The Taliban have denied a report stating that the outfit executed former police and intelligence officers in Afghanistan since taking over the country in August despite a proclaimed amnesty.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week in a report documented the killing or disappearance of former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) — military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and militia — who had surrendered to or were apprehended by Taliban forces between August 15 and October 31.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi on Sunday claimed that “Mujahidin” are fully committed to implementing amnesty decree and employees of the previous administration are not being persecuted for their former opposition.” Any Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) member found breaching amnesty decree will be prosecuted and penalized, he added. “Incidents will be thoroughly investigated but unsubstantiated rumours should not be taken at face value,” Balkhi said in a tweet.

Last week, HRW had said that they gathered credible information on more than 100 killings from Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces alone. “The Taliban leadership’s promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW. “The burden is on the Taliban to prevent further killings, hold those responsible to account, and compensate the victims’ families.”

Reacting sharply to the reports of the killings, the United States and 20 other countries expressed “deep concern” over the summary killings and enforced disappearances after the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban. “We are deeply concerned by reports of summary killings and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces as documented by Human Rights Watch and others,” the State Department statement said.

“We underline that the alleged actions constitute serious human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban‘s announced amnesty. We call on the Taliban to effectively enforce the amnesty for former members of the Afghan security forces and former Government officials to ensure that it is upheld across the country and throughout their ranks,” they added. (ANI)

Afghan situation has wider repercussions for Central Asia, says EAM Jaishankar

New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that that the situation in Afghanistan has wider repercussions for the Central Asian region and added that both India and Russia have a common interest in ASEAN centrality.

Jaishankar‘s remarks came during the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan here on Monday. “India–Russia meeting today will address the emergence of multipolarity and rebalancing. We look at the consequence of over-centralized globalisation. Long-standing challenges of terrorism, violent extremism remain among newer challenges,” Jaishankar said. “The situation in Afghanistan has wider repercussions including for Central Asia,” Jaishankar added.

The minister further noted stated that the India–Russia meeting today will address the emergence of multipolarity and rebalancing. “We look at the consequence of over-centralized globalisation. Long-standing challenges of terrorism, violent extremism remain among newer challenges,” he said.

During the discussion, the EAM also said that India and Russia are working to ensure peace, progress and prosperity for the people of both countries. “We are meeting at a critical juncture in the global geopolitical environment which is in great flux, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jaishankar said. “As close friends and strategic partners, India and Russia have been working to safeguard our common interests and to ensure peace, progress and prosperity for our people,” he added.

Besides the EAM, the meeting was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Russian counterparts Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Shoigu. During his remarks, the EAM also stressed the strong and steady ties between India and Russia and said that “Our ties have been close and time-tested, in a world that has changed so much, they have been exceptionally steady”. “We”ve have an active, dialogue at political levels and also a strong defence partnership over many years,” Jaishankar added.

The EAM also expressed that the meeting has provided India and Russia with a suitable platform to discuss political-military issues of mutual interest. “Our meeting gives us a suitable platform to discuss political-military issues of mutual interest that are interrelated and cross-cutting,” he said,

Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart also signed the agreements for the procurement of 6,01,427 7.63x39mm assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, under the military-technical cooperation arrangement for 2021-31.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the 21st annual India–Russia summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both countries are expected to sign more than 10 agreements following annual talks between PM Modi and President Putin.

These agreements will be in the fields of space, culture, science and technology, defence etc. (ANI)