KABUL, 23 November 2021, (TON): Underscoring the need for urgent actions to prop up Afghanistan’s banks, the United Nations warned that a spike in people unable to repay loans, lower deposits and a cash liquidity crunch could cause the financial system to collapse within months.

In a three-page report on Afghanistan’s banking and financial system seen by local media, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said the economic cost of a banking system collapse and consequent negative social impact “would be colossal.”

An abrupt withdrawal of most foreign development support after the Taliban seized power on Aug. 15 from Afghanistan’s Western-backed government has sent the economy into freefall, putting a severe strain on the banking system which set weekly withdrawal limits to stop a run on deposits.

The UNDP report said “Afghanistan’s financial and bank payment systems are in disarray. The bank-run problem must be resolved quickly to improve Afghanistan’s limited production capacity and prevent the banking system from collapsing.”

Finding a way to avert a collapse is complicated by international and unilateral sanctions on Taliban leaders.

ISLAMABAD, 23 November 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered immediate shipment of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs. 5 billion for Afghanistan including 50,000 MT of wheat, emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.

Instructing all the ministries to facilitate Afghans to the maximum, he also gave an in-principle approval for tariff and sales tax reduction on key Afghan exports to Pakistan.

 The Prime Minister issued these order during his visit to the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC) here where he chaired the first Apex Committee meeting of AICC.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Advisor on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, National Security Adviser Dr. Moeed Yousaf and senior civil and military officers.

He also announced Pakistan’s decision to allow the 50,000 MT of wheat India has offered to provide Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance to go through Pakistan as soon as modalities are finalized with the Indian side.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan will also facilitate the return of Afghan patients who had gone to India for medical treatment and were stuck there.

Pakistan: COAS reiterates need for global action to avoid humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, 23 November 2021, (TON): A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated the need for global convergence on Afghanistan for avoiding humanitarian crisis and coordinated efforts for economic uplift of the Afghan people.”

He expressed these remarks during a meeting with a delegation led by Chairman House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) USA Gregory Weldon Meeks and member Amerish Babulal Bera.

During the meetings, matters of mutual interest, the current security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed.

According to the ISPR, General Qamar said "Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement with all the regional players and wishes for enduring peace in the region."

He re-emphasised that "peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan".

NEW DELHI, 23 November 2021, (TON): Flushed with victory after Prime Minister Narendra Modi caved into demands for agricultural reform laws to be repealed, Indian farmers held a mass rally to demand minimum support prices be extended to all produce, not just rice and wheat.

The protest movement launched by farmers more than a year ago became the most serious political challenge to the government, and resulted in Modi making a surprise commitment to roll back the reforms.

Thousands gathered for the latest rally in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party will seek to hold onto power in state elections due early next year.

They turned their attention to minimum support prices (MSP), which were a side issue in the agricultural reform laws.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, a prominent farmers' leader, said in an address to about 5,000 farmers waving flags of various farmer and labour organisations "our battle is only half won.”

He said "ensuring that the government makes a law MSP is a big issue for all of us."

He further said "our protests will end once the government passes the law on MSP."

NEW DELHI, 23 November 2021, (TON): Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan in 2019 after his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet and later returned to India, was awarded India's third-highest gallantry medal on Monday.

According to the Indian media, Abhinandan received the Vir Chakra the third-highest wartime gallantry award after Param Vir Chakra and Maha Chakra, from Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at an investiture ceremony in the capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present at the ceremony.

According to the report, Abhinandan, who was recently promoted from wing commander to group captain, was awarded the medal for "showing conspicuous courage" while shooting down a Pakistani F-16 aircraft in February 2019, a claim that has been rubbished by the Pakistan military, independent observers as well as the international media.

NAYPYITAW, 23 November 2021, (TON): More than 250 rights groups and charities have called on the international police agency Interpol to exclude a top figure in Myanmar’s junta from its General Assembly on Tuesday, echoing similar calls last week by the National Unity Government (NUG).

Lt-Gen Than Hlaing, the junta’s deputy home affairs minister and head of the Myanmar Police Force, will lead Myanmar’s delegation for the three-day assembly in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The US, Canada, the EU, and the UK have sanctioned Than Hlaing for his role in overseeing the junta’s murderous crackdown on opponents to the February 1 military coup.

In a letter addressed to Interpol’s leadership and member countries, 259 groups said the junta’s participation in the agency created “serious credibility issues”.

The letter is signed by organisations including ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, the Burma Human Rights Network, Civicus, the International Trade Union Confederation, the Karen Organization of America and Progressive Voice.

DHAKA, 23 November 2021, (TON): Maldives is sending a high-level delegation led by vice-president Faisal Naseem to explore scopes of engagements in education, skills training, health and other sectors in Bangladesh.

The Maldivian vice-president, who is scheduled to reach Dhaka, will lead the 15-member delegation on a three-day visit for meetings with top Bangladesh officials, said officials.

The delegation will hold meetings with education minister Dipu Moni, health minister Zahid Maleque and expatriate affairs minister Imran Ahmed.

They will visit several universities, technical education centres and hospitals during their stay.

The Maldivian vice-president Naseem will also call on president Abdul Hamid at the latter’s office.

Maldives is keen to send students to universities, medical colleges and nursing institutes in Bangladesh, according to officials.

DHAKA, 23 November 2021, (TON): British Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Girls' Education, Helen Grant, arrived in Dhaka on a three-day visit for advocating education for girls.

She tweeted "excited to be in #Bangladesh for the first time I'm here to meet civil society partners, education leaders, and most importantly Bangladeshi women and girls to learn about their experiences and the challenges they've faced in accessing quality education.”

She expressed frustration over the high rate of child marriage in the country.

It is sad that over half of all girls under 25 in Bangladesh are married before their 18th birthday.

She said “after listening to young leaders who are working to tackle child marriage in their respective communities, supported by UNDP and UKaid.”

She also met students of Jaago School in Dhaka.

She believed that ensuring equal access to education for all makes the world a better place.

KABUL, 22 November 2021, (TON): According to UN officials “Catastrophic and famine-like conditions hang over Afghanistan’s farmers and herders, whose needs continue to worsen with the onset of winter.”

A Rome-based UN agency, said “while humanitarian access has never been better, prices are soaring and needs continue to outpace the resources provided, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).”

Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan, said “the situation is disastrous. Every farmer we’ve spoken to has lost almost all of their crops this year, many were forced to sell their livestock, they have accumulated enormous debts and simply have no money.”

No farmer wants to leave their land. But when you have no food, you have no grain from the previous harvest, there are no seeds in the fields and your livestock are gone, you have no choice.

The UN agency said that 18.8 million Afghans are unable to feed themselves every day, and that this number is set to rise to nearly 23 million by the end of the year.

What started as a drought crisis has spiraled into economic disaster, with nine in 10 major urban centres also expected to face extreme hardship, as debts pile up and savings dwindle.

KABUL, 22 November 2021, (TON): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced that they have taken up to 2,718 drug addicts to the hospitals of Kabul where they will get treatment.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior Affairs Saeed Khostai in a series of tweets said that the addicts were collected from different areas of the Afghan capital.

Saeed Khostai further added that the addicts will be admitted to 14 treatment centers and 14 impatient hospitals in Kabul.

Reads a tweet “the counter-narcotics department of the Ministry of Interior affairs have collected nearly three thousand addicts from Kabul city who will be taken to 28 treatment centers in the city.”

The spokesperson also said that a number of addicts have been discharged after getting proper treatment while others are still going through treatment.