Reg: No 352 Volume No. 3368 Monday August 15, 2016 Asad 25, 1395 www.outlookafghanistan.net Price: 15/-Afs

Quote of the Day

Email: thedailyafghanistan@yahoo.comPhone: 0093 (799) 005019/777-005019

www.thedailyafghanistan.com

It always seems impossible until its done.

Nelson Mandela

Abdullah may Declare New Stance As Rift with Ghani Deepens

17 Villages under Taliban

‘Control’ in Bahark, Badakhshan

AGO Committed to Fighting Corruption: Hamidi

Investments Fall as Afghanistan Prepares to for Brussels Summit

FAIZABAD - Badakhshan of-ficials said Sunday that about 17 villages in Baharak district are under Taliban control and that insurgents are demanding usher (illegal taxes) from the locals. Security officials in the province have warned that if government does not clear the district of Taliban, Baharak’s security will be threatened. The district governor Samiul-lah Atiq said that Taliban are located about two kilometers from the center of the district. In the meantime, a number of Badakhshan representatives in parliament have voiced their concerns regarding the security situation and have also urged government to take urgent action. Meanwhile, it is reported that the Taliban is gaining ground on a daily basis and that it is expanding its control. Atiq said: “Taliban exists in Baharak villages and is making life difficult for the people.” “Approximately 17 villages are under Taliban con-trol. They freely walk in the region and hurt people, teach-ers; especially Tajiks”, said Pahlawan Agha, a command-er of public uprising forces in Baharak. Badakhshan police confirm that Taliban are active in the district, but said they are planning to launch an opera-tion in the near future.“Four villages are under Tali-ban control in Baharak near to Wardoj district, when the operations start, these villages will be cleared of Taliban”, said Gen Wadod, chief of Ba-harak police department.Safiullah Muslim, an MP for Badakhshan said: “Local se-curity forces are unable to take back the occupied villages by Taliban. Central government needs to take serious action to retake the fallen regions from the Taliban. A big operation was started one month ago for the retaking of Raghistan dis-trict and freeing gold mines in the province, but security forc-es have not achieved anything yet.”(Tolonews)

KABUL - The rift between the Presidential Palace and the Chief Executive Office (CEO) has reportedly deepened and CEO Abdullah Abdullah is scheduled to announce his new stance at a gathering.The differences between the two leaders resurfaced three days ago, when Abdullah criti-cized President Ghani for what he said having no time to meet him. Abdullah also expressed his displeasure over some ap-

KABUL - Attorney General Farid Hamidi on Sunday said the Corruption Justice Task Force (CJTF) would be a powerful and independ-ent institution to curb cor-ruption in the country and wage a real fight against the menace.He said this while address-ing a gathering on the sec-ond round of reforms in the Attorney General Office (AGO), introduction of his two deputies and another 51 officers at the top prosecu-tor’s office.Hamidi said the AGO would

KABUL - As government prepares to attend the Brus-sels Summit in October, figures presented by Af-ghanistan Investment Sup-port Agency (AISA) indi-cates that investments have dropped considerably in Afghanistan since the es-tablishment of the National Unity Government (NUG) in 2014.AISA officials said there has been a 26 percent fall in reg-istration of new companies for investment during this period.Figures out by AISA reveal

pointments which the president ordered without consulting his

look into corruption cases and would try to eliminate the menace from the coun-

that at least $1 billion USD was invested in the coun-try over the past two years while according to the or-

chief executive. After Abdullah’s criticism, the Presidential Palace

try along with discharging its other responsibilities --- crime ...(More on P4)...(5)

ganization, this amount was over $2.2 billion USD during the same period under the previous ...(More on P4)...(6)

Kabul Joins Convention on Certain Conventional WeaponsKABUL - The United Nations has commended Af-ghanistan’s endorsement of the Convention on Cer-tain Conventional Weapons (CCW) as a major step toward the security of its citizens.“This principled action demonstrates a commitment to rules which establish greater security for Afghan civilians in conflict situations,” the United Nation Mine Action Services (UNMAS) said.UNMAS Programme Manager Jeffrey McMurdo said in a statement the action recognised the state’s responsibility for the removal of explosive remnants of war in areas under its control.McMurdo called on all parties to the conflict to com-mit themselves to the civilians, according to a state-ment issued by the Directorate of Mine Action Co-ordination (DMAC) on Sunday.On July 30, the Directorate of Mine Action Coordi-nation (DMAC) received from ...(More on P4)...(4)

issued a statement that called Abdullah’s remarks as irrespon-sible and against the principles of governance.But a source close to the unity government told Pajhwok Af-ghan News that the real dispute between the two leaders was over a possible removal of the acting Balkh governor, Atta Mo-hammad Noor, and the removal of Ahmad Mashahid, a son-in-law of late former president Ustad ...(More on P4)...(3)

Pakistan Celebrates Independence

Day in Kabul

KABUL - The Embassy of Pakistan in Afghanistan on Sunday held a ceremony marking the 70th Inde-pendence Day of the neighbouring country.Ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain hoisted the na-tional flag and Pakistan’s anthem was played at the ceremony, a statement from the embassy said.Messages of President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz were also read out on the oc-casion.The ceremony was attended by a large num-ber of Pakistani community members.The ambassador highlighted the historical impor-tance of the day and paid tribute to the founding fathers of Pakistan, whose sacrifices led to the crea-tion of a separate homeland.Hussain congratulated members of the Pakistani community in Afghanistan on the Independence Day and urged them to renew their commitment to serving their country with dedication.He also underlined the need for robust cooperation with Afghanistan in all areas.He reiterated Paki-stan’s commitment to working for the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan.Hussain also referred to the projects funded by Pakistan in the health and education sectors of Af-ghanistan.(PR)

Taliban have Shut 8 Schools in Logar: Official

PUL-I-ALAM - The Taliban have closed eight schools in central Logar province, education officials said on Sunday. However, the militant movement rejected the claim as base-less.Education Department spokesman Mohammad Shahpoor Arab told Pa-jhwok Afghan News the Taliban had closed one high and three intermedi-ate schools for boys and three inter-mediate schools for girls in Moham-mad Agha district.As many as 2,000 students had been deprived of education by the closure of schools, he said, adding local el-ders had been tasked with talking to the Taliban on the reopening of the facilities.Haji Atal, a local elder from Surkhab district, confirmed the Taliban the closure of eight schools in the area.But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid spurned the claim, promis-ing the group would investigate the issue to ascertain who had closed the school.As many as 307 education facili-ties are functional in Logar, where 150,000 students are enrolled, includ-ing 50,000 girls.(Pajhwok)

The People of Afghanistan congratulate the Brotherly and Friendly Nation of India on Its 70th Independence Day

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” Mahatma Gandhi

Leadership, People’s Representation Needs Patience

Afghanistan is Not Someone’s Personal Asset: Ghani

Presidential Palace ‘Overlooked’ Majority of

CEO’s Demands

KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday stressed national unity and patience to have a strong leadership, saying Afghanistan was no longer a country led by arbitrary actions and democracy also did not mean ‘eve-rything is mine’. The president ex-pressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Af-ghan youth parliament in Kabul. His remarks about patience in leadership comes three days after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah crit-

KABUL - Amid ongoing tensions between the Na-tional Unity Government (NUG) leaders, the office of the Chief Executive Of-ficer (CEO) on Sunday said most of their demands and recommendations have been either rejected or ig-nored by the Presidential Palace.The CEO’s deputy spokes-man Jawed Faisal said he believes that government affairs have not been car-ried out in a harmonized manner so far.“Government has been

about divisions because they were strong and supported unity in the country.He asked the youth to listen to the demands of Afghan people and work for resolving their problems. “Those who represent their people should change their individual identity to collective identity, representing peo-ple and leadership is a heavy respon-sibility, people’s judgment is always fair and we must hear their voice,” he said. Speaking to ...(More on P4)...(1)

faced with a number of problems. It lacks the re-quired coordination. It has not been based on the directions of the NUG’s political agreement,” Faisal added.Meanwhile, the Meshra-no Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) Speaker Fa-zel Hadi Muslimyar said the tension will be over-come in the near future; however, former deputy spokesman for the CEO’s office, Asif Ashna, ac-cused the presidential palace ...(More on P4)...(2)

icized President Ghani leadership and said he was obliged to express his differences with Ghani publicly.Abdullah said essential pledges of the na-tional unity government agreement such as convening a Loya Jirga, amending the Con-stitution to create the post of a prime minis-ter to replace the executive directorate and introduce electoral reforms had not been im-plemented so far. The CEO also expressed concern about the president’s behavior with ministers and said Ghani did not meet him during the past three months. However, ad-

dressing the youth parliament, the presi-dent did not mention Abdullah’s state-ments, but said: “Democracy does not mean everything should turn around in the interest of a particular person, this country is not someone’s personal asset, but it is the country of lions.” “If you say ‘I am the only best one’ and I also say the same thing, then none of us could be the winners, but if we praise each other it would value us both,” he added.Ghani added the Afghan nation even in worst situations did not raise voice