CORONA CATASTROPHE INDIA UP OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD 34,288 27 & LUCKNOW new cases new cases www.firstindia.co.in www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ twitter.com/thefirstindia 01 facebook.com/thefirstindia 428 instagram.com/thefirstindia new fatalities new fatalities LUCKNOW l WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 246 “I’ve witnessed the collapse; Ghani AS AFGHAN I STAND did the right forth the voice of Hamza struck nation... present situation in Af- but at the same time, eve- We don’t know what thing, No hope of (name changed to conceal z Q: Hamza, tell us a bit ghanistan ? Are you ryone is in a state of panic will happen to the gen- being safe in new identity), a young member about yourself ? What able to move freely to and chaos over what will eral livelihood of the of an influential family do you do ? markets? happen, as no one knows people as it’s just chaos Afghanistan” from Kabul, who shares Ans: I am a simple civilian Ans: For a change, after for sure. everywhere. We are just how life is today & what he living here Taliban took glad that violence did not expects tomorrows to be as in Afghani- over the Gov- z Q: How do you think take place. Till now, ith uncertainty Taliban reigns supreme in stan who has INTERVIEW ernment in Taliban taking over Af- the situation is looming large on ‘captured’ Afghanistan. witnessed Afghanistan, ghanistan will affect normal and we W what future holds He also shares his views the collapse of the Govern- the situation in the coun- the livelihood in the are living as for Afghanistan, on the plight of women ment and living in an era try is normal and smooth country? simple Af- First India’s Gajraj Sin- and kids, hopes of the of Taliban take over. as of now, all the shops are Ans: Few of the shops of ghans in Ka- gh, Yogesh Chouhan and youth and livelihood of open and civilians are burqas have opened, kur- bul. Saloni Khandelwal bring the people in the terror- z Q: How do you see the roaming everywhere and tas have replaced denims. Turn to P6 TWIST IN THE TALE Ex-Afghan VP Saleh: I am Legitimate Caretaker Prez Afghanistan’s first vice TALIBAN: AMNESTY president Amrullah Saleh on Tuesday added a new twist to the ongo- ing crisis, claiming he SALEH: I AM SUPREME is now the caretaker president after Ashraf I stand squarely Ghani fled the war-torn behind my country. Citing the pro- decision. This did visions of the Constitu- tion of Afghanistan, unfold more Saleh said that the first quickly than we vice president automat- anticipated ically becomes the care- Amrullah Saleh taker president in the —Joe Biden, event of the president’s US President INDIAN RESPONSE absence, escape or res- ignation. z MEA sets up special Afghans Liberated “Clarity: As per d helpline for requests z constitution of Afg, in from Afghanistan Kerala Chief Minis- Afghanistan after ter seeks urgent steps absence, escape, resig- z India starts single to repatriate Keralites 20 years of nation or death of the entry e-visa facility for stranded in Kabul. P5 struggle. No threat President the FVP be- will be posed to comes the caretaker President. I am current- Saleh has not accepted betray the “soul” and any country from ly inside my country & the takeover by the Tali- “legacy of my hero Ah- Afghanistan am the legitimate care ban, saying he will never mad Shah Masoud”, the —Taliban taker President. Am be under “one ceiling” late Afghan politician reaching out to all lead- with the Islamist funda- and military command- ers to secure their sup- mentalists. On Sunday, er who fought against port & consensus,” Ashraf ’s Ghani former the Soviet occupation Taliban militants now play role of police at Kabul. tweeted Saleh. deputy said he’ll never between 1979 and 1989. Kabul: The Taliban an- nounced Tuesday an INDIA EVACUATES ITS EMBASSY IN KABUL “amnesty” across Af- Ensure safe evacuation of ghanistan and urged Kabul: Amid escalating tensions in Afghanistan, India Tuesday evacuated women to join its govern- its entire embassy — including the Indians: Modi on Afghan crisis From the very ment, trying to calm Indian ambassador. A special Indian start (the US nerves across a nervous Air Force aircraft with 130 diplomats New Delhi: Prime Minis- capital city that only the and around 20 Indians stranded in ter Narendra Modi invasion) was a day before saw chaos at Afghanistan, landed in Jamnagar earlier chaired a meeting of the bad idea, its airport as people tried in the day. This is the second time since Cabinet Committee on although Russia to flee their rule. The 1996 that India has evacuated its mis- Security on Tuesday to comments by Enamul- sion in Kabul — both times after the assess the situation in Taliban came to power.The announce- initially lah Samangani, a mem- war-torn Afghanistan. ment came two days after the Taliban supported it. ber of the Taliban’s cul- captured power in Afghanistan. “The The meeting was attend- Failure should tural commission, repre- aircraft landed at around 11:30 AM and we went to the tarmac to welcome the evacuees ed by Union Home Minis- sent the first comments ter Amit Shah, Defence have been with garlands,” Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Food, Civil Sup- on governance from a plies, and Consumer Affairs said. Later, the plane left for New Delhi. P5 Minister Rajnath Singh, INTERNAL, BILATERAL: TALIBAN admitted earlier. federal level across the Finance Minister Nirma- ‘CLARIFIES’ POSITION ON KASHMIR Now it is country after their blitz la Sitaraman and Nation- across the country. While Islamic Emirate doesn’t dered their fighters to said on Tuesday. “Tali- al Security Advisor Ajit New Delhi: In an apparent clarification of their stance on important to there were no major re- want women to be vic- maintain discipline and ban members have been Doval. It is understood Kashmir, the Taliban called it a “bilateral and an internal matter”. The Taliban is unlikely to focus on Kashmir, news ports of abuses or fight- tims,” Samangani said, not enter any diplomat- ordered at all levels to that Foreign Secretary learn from the agency ANI reported attributing it to an official. “There are situation and at ing in Kabul, many resi- using the militants’ ic buildings or interfere ensure that we don’t dis- Harsh Vardhan Shringla security concerns that #Afghanistan might become the dents have stayed home term for Afghanistan. with embassy vehicles, respect any country’s and Afghanistan Ambas- first epicenter of Islamic terrorism which has a state, they least not repeat and remain fearful after “They should be in gov- and for ordinary people presence in Afghani- sador Rudrendra Tandon have access to all the weapons which Americans have such mistakes the insurgents’ takeover ernment structure ac- to go about their busi- stan,” said the senior were also present at the supplied and also the weapons of 3 lakh plus Afghan Na- —Mikhail Gorbachev, saw prisons emptied and cording to Shariah law.” ness as usual, a senior official, who declined to meeting. tional Army personnel,” ANI tweeted, quoting the official. Former USSR leader armories looted. “The The Taliban have or- official of the group be identified. PEGASUS ROW First in India: 6 cr plus vaccine doses in UP DAY 1: Rowdy Opposition Govt needn’t disclose BY SUMIT KUMAR —PHOTO More than Earlier, on August 3, forces House adjournment about 29.52 lakh doses sensitive info: SC 23.67 lakh jabs Lucknow: Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit ad- were administered in journed the House for the day on the first day of An expert committee likely to be formed to administered in UP, which set the record. the Monsoon Session on Tuesday as Samajwadi be given ‘finer details’ of the matter; Panel the last 24 hours Uttar Pradesh has Party (SP) and Congress members staged a will later present a report in the Apex Court now become the first dharna inside the assembly premises against First India Bureau state to have more than the government over its ‘mismanagement’ of the New Delhi: The Centre tions that the Israeli six crore people who Covid-19 situation, price rise and other issues. Tuesday told the Su- spyware was used for Lucknow: Uttar have taken at least one Wearing oxygen masks and carrying placards, preme Court that it has snooping, adding it will Pradesh’s Covid-19 vac- dose of Covid-19 vac- Samajwadi Party MLAs and MLCs also “nothing to hide” in the decide on forming a cination coverage cine. The state second raised slogans against the govern- Pegasus row and that committee after getting achieved a major mile- CM Yogi Adityanath addressing the House on the 1st day of the on the list, Maharash- ment. While the SP MLAs came in the matter concerns the response. The stone on Tuesday with Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. tra, lags far behind with bullock carts, carrying placards on “national security.” A bench, told Solicitor the total number of vac- 5.01 crore doses deliv- Covid deaths, rise in fuel prices Bench headed by Chief General Tushar Mehta cine doses adminis- landmark on the after- the state. The state also ered so far. The vaccina- and holding sugarcane sticks, Justice of India (CJI) N that the apex court tered in the state cross- noon of Tuesdya, Au- administered more than tion numbers in Ra- some Congress legislators came V Ramana issued a no- does not want the gov- ing the six-crore mark.