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Sandeep Dikshit
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 9
Under pressure from the world community to deliver on its promises, the Taliban relented by permitting evacuation from Kabul airport even as the BRICS virtual summit hosted by PM Narendra Modi on Thursday called for preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as sanctuary to carry out attacks.
Edit: Afghan women repressed
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We are all interested in Afghanistan ceasing to be a threat to neighbours. We are for Afghans living in peace and dignity on their soil.
A joint statement endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping as also Presidents of South Africa and Brazil expressed concern over the drug trade and emphasised the need to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities. The BRICS joint statement released did not mention Taliban but strongly condemned terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations” and spoke of combating cross-border movement of terrorists, and terrorism financing networks and safe havens. “We underscore the priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as a terrorist sanctuary and to carry out attacks against other countries, as well as drug trade within Afghanistan,” the BRICS said.
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But the Taliban was on a collision course with the US after the Pentagon objected to the presence of men in the interim Cabinet who are wanted under its “Rewards for Justice” programme. However, China welcomed the interim Cabinet, saying that it was “a necessary step to restore order and rebuild the country” but Germany, France and the US felt it fell short of expectations by not being inclusive enough.
Kabul remained tense after the Taliban said all protests would have to be approved by the Interior Ministry and Internet services slowed down in west Kabul, where impromptu demonstrations have been held by women. More evidence also emerged of severe injuries caused to Afghan journalists after they were picked up by the Taliban for covering the protests and whipped with steel cables.
Zaki Daryabi, editor-in-chief of Etilaat Roz newspaper, shared images on social media of two of his reporters who were “beaten and tortured badly” after covering a protest by women in Kabul.
Politicians in Kabul also spoke against the Taliban for forming an interim Cabinet comprising only its Quetta Shura and the Haqqani network. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai suggested that all Afghans should be represented in the government. His sentiments were echoed by Hazara and Tajik leaders.
The western world’s expectations came through strongly at a conference of 20 foreign ministers where External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke on holding the Taliban to its commitment of not permitting safe havens.
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