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Add: In front of Habibia High School, Robert Frost District 3, Kabul, Afghanistan Volume No. 4507 Saturday December 26, 2020 Jadi 06, 1399 www.outlookafghanistan.net Price: 20/-Afs Atta Noor Kabul, Tashkent Threatens to VP Danish: Enemy Attacks to Set Up Joint ‘Take Action’ Meant to ‘Create Chaos’ Economic Zone Against Security KABUL - Afghanistan’s Second Vice Presi- dent Mohammad Sarwar Danish, referring Situation to the recent spate of targeted killings in the country, said on Thursday that the enemies of Afghanistan are attacking the achieve- ments of the nation. “The enemy has targeted the (nation’s) gains to create fear and chaos and disappoint- ment, or to provoke the people against each other, to create distance between the people and the government, to score points in the peace process or to push the talks toward a MAZAR-I-SHARIF - Afghan and stalemate,” said Danish at the National Hu- Uzbekistan have agreed on creat- man Rights Defenders Conference. ing a joint economic zone on their Danish said “the enemy” has attacked rule common border to boost bilateral BALKH - Former Balkh governor of law, human rights, freedom of speech, trade. Atta Mohammad Noor, said on journalists, judges and human rights de- The proposed economic zone, to be Thursday he was concerned about fenders. set up in the Sarkhandarya prov- the security situation in the coun- Meanwhile, other speakers expressed ince of Uzbekistan, will facilitate try and called on President Ashraf grave concern over what they described as Afghan traders and investors. Ghani to rethink his security pol- imminent threats facing the human rights Balkh and Sarkhandarya gover- icy. activists. nors made statements to the ef- He also warned that unless gov- Addressing the conference, officials from fect at the second conference on ernment starts paying attention to the Afghan Independent Human Rights strengthening Uzbek-Afghan co- insecure parts of the country “they Commission (AIHRC) said that the number operation in areas of trade and cul- will take action”. of targeted killings has increased by 50 per- ture in Mazar-i-Sharif. In a comment aimed at Ghani, cent this year compared to a year before. The Sarkhandarya governor said Noor said: “Do not say that you According to AIHRC statistics, 23 human his country was willing to expand don’t have patience, because it is rights defenders were killed in Afghanistan economic and trade ties with Af- difficult to see our people, in front over the past year. Journalists, human rights activists, religious eral targeted attacks against journalists, civil ghanistan. of our eyes, being taken [out], in- In the meantime, the European Union (EU) scholars are the victims of targeted killings,” society activists and prosecutors. It is be- He added the two sides discussed nocent, and slaughtered.” has urged the need for an investigation to said Shaharzad Akbar, chairperson of the coming more and more difficult for human an agreement on creating an eco- Speaking at a gathering in Balkh, be launched into the targeted killings in the AIHRC. rights defenders, civil society and media nomic zone in Sarkhandarya and Noor also indirectly criticized First country. “The bad consequence of targeted killing is representatives to do their work. I have also initial work of the project had be- Vice President Amrullah Saleh The Committee of Human Rights Defend- that no one feels safe, no one dares to par- understood that ACSFo gun. over his 6:30am security session ers include religious scholars, local influen- ticipate in social activities--in the media or (Afghanistan Civil Society Forum) later in The visiting official hoped the and said that “oppressing poor tial people and the political leaders. in forums about issues of national interest- the conference will present additional find- economic zone, when established, people on the road is not the way “The targeted killings are really a concern- -to criticize or express personal views. All ings when it comes to threats against human would encourage Afghan traders to ensure security.” ing issue. Over the first six months of the of this then has an impact on the peace pro- rights defenders. I reiterate our expectation to invest in Uzbekistan and vice He also said he would be proud to year, the scale of targeted killings registered cess,” added Akbar. that all these attacks and targeted killings are versa. die in his country rather than live by the human rights commission shows An EU representative spoke at the confer- thoroughly and transparently investigated Based on the agreement, Afghan abroad. a 50 percent increase. Unfortunately, tar- ence: by relevant authorities, and that effective traders will be able to stay in He stated however that all Af- geted killings happen all over Afghanistan. “In the last few months, we have seen sev- measures ...( More on P4)...(1) Sarkhandarya for 15 days without ghans ...( More on P4)...(2) visa ...( More on P4)...(3) Targeted Killings Republic Team: Taliban’s US Continues to Pardon War Threaten Peace Islamic Political System Unclear Criminals in Iraq, Afghanistan KABUL - Members of the peace nego- WASHINGTON - US President Don- Process: Khalilzad tiating team representing the Islamic ald Trump announcing this week a Republic of Afghanistan have said wave of pardons was the latest in a se- that the Taliban has so far failed to ries of wielding his clemency powers define their Islamic political system, over the years for war criminals that which has been announced in relation were convicted of killing civilians in to the peace process, and the group’s Iraq and Afghanistan. intentions for Afghanistan’s future. As US presidents have used their au- They said that the Taliban continues thority for more than two hundred to talk about the Islamic politics and years to offer second chances to some the political system, however they are Americans, Trump has issued 70 par- not able to come up with a clear defini- dons during his time in the White tion about it. of the republic team said. House as of Wednesday. shot at Iraqi civilians, killing 17 and Members of the republic team also “My understanding is that the Tali- Trump’s executive clemency, how- injuring 20 in Nisour Square, Baghdad said that the Taliban’s ideology has ban’s ideology is the same ideology ever, keeps adding controversial mili- on Sept. 16, 2007 as they were escort- not changed despite reports in the that they had 25 years ago, the Tali- tary figures after he pardoned four ing a US embassy convoy. Western media that the group’s ideas ban’s views about Shia women, elec- employees of an American private The incident caused five investiga- and views had changed. tions, music, arts and human rights military company who killed civilians tions. The FBI found that at least 14 of “The Taliban have the same views have not changed,” said Abdul Hafiz in Iraq and were found guilty by a US the 17 Iraqis killed were shot without KABUL - US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad they had 25 years ago about wom- Mansour, a member of the peace nego- court in 2014. any cause, including 9- and 11-year- condemned recent targeted killings in Afghani- en, music, arts, elections, freedom of tiating team representing the Islamic Employees of Blackwater Security old boys. stan and these attacks must stop and that they speech and human rights,” members Republic ...( More on P4)...(5) Consulting, now known as Academi, Thirty ...( More on P4)...(6) threaten the peace process. “Living with so much violence is no way to live. It breeds a climate of fear. Fear will drive more ‘Taliban Must Be Held Responsible for Saleh: Afghanistan Afghans to leave their homeland. Who will then be left to advocate for rights and freedoms? This Killings’: Zuhair Requires Acceptable is not the way a society will thrive and prosper,” status of press freedom in Af- the country. Khalilzad said. Peace to All Sides ghanistan, and he called on the “Undoubtedly, the journalists He said the Afghan people demand peace and a KABUL - At an event in Kabul on Thursday, Am- Ministry of Interior to define a and activists face an unknown ceasefire and political settlement remain urgent. rullah Saleh, The First Vice President said, that Af- new security strategy to help en- enemy,” said Mohammad Raqeeb “I urge the negotiating parties to redouble their ghanistan requires an acceptable peace to all sides sure security and safety for media Fayaz, a journalist. efforts. We stand ready to help,” Khalilzad add- and the public. workers and journalists. “They failed to suffocate the voice ed. He indicated that the Taliban has issues with the “Whether the Taliban accepts it of freedom of the press despite Reacting to the killing of Yousuf Rasheed, the Afghan National Flag, its sovereignty, resources, or not, they are responsible for all multiple attacks on the journal- CEO of Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghani- constitution, and everything of the Afghan gov- such acts of violence that happen ists,” said Khadija, a journalist. stan, attack on doctors in Kabul and Thursday’s ernment. in Afghanistan,” said Zuhair. However, the Minister of Interior attack on women’s rights activist Freshta Ko- “Death, to be hanged, is far more honorable than KABUL - The Taliban, merely by “We demand a review of the secu- Massoud Andarabi has said that histani, Khalilzad said those behind these terror- an agreement where I take the right to vote away denying their involvement in the rity strategy for the journalists and special measures will be taken from my people and give it to a certain circle, in ist attacks must be held accountable.