[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- BOMBING IN PAKISTAN KILLS AT LEAST 40, 150 WOUNDED – The bomb was detonated at a rally for a hard-line cleric and political leaders in the Bajur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. The convention was organized for Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his party, Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI). Rehman is thought to be allied with the TTP and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Police say that a suicide bomber likely infiltrated the gathering and successfully bypassed the JUI party’s security personnel. JUI party officials were quick to point the finger at other political groups and said the bombing was an attempt to keep JUI candidates out of the November elections. No group has yet claimed credit for the attack but a source in Islamabad said it was almost certainly an ISIS operation and authorities believed the bomber had slipped across the border from Afghanistan. Based on preliminary reports from medical personnel, the death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours and days.
- US SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION ISSUES WARNING TO TALIBAN – In a recent report from the US SIGAR, the funds on reserve in Switzerland could be withheld should the Taliban continue to interfere in the central bank’s operations. As the Taliban have rejected the former constitution, there are currently no laws that govern the banking infrastructure in the country. The current governor and deputy governor of the central bank are Taliban leaders, possess no banking experience, and are reputedly not the smartest people in any room. The US’s position is firm, there can be no political interference in the banking system but there are rumors the Taliban intend to vacate the banking laws and will try to replace them with a hybridized Sharia-based system that some other countries claim to have adopted. Most observers believe the loss of these funds would cause a collapse of the Afghan economy.
- MINISTRY OF MARTYRS AND DISABLED SAYS IT IS FINALLY READY TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR THE DISABLED, ORPHANS, AND WIDOWS – After delaying the support payments for nearly two years, the Ministry says it will provide a back pay allowance of six months to those who have been verified on the lists in the Ministry. There are concerns that employees of the former government have had their names struck off the list and there are also rumors that many Taliban officials have created some ‘Ghost Disabled’. The term refers to people who do not actually exist but whose benefits are sent to accounts owned by corrupt officials. A few select NGOs are waiting to see how the disbursements are paid and are concerned that minorities and women may be left out.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN EXPECTING HIGH-LEVEL VISITS, INCREASED THREAT OF TERROR ACTS – With the arrival of China’s Vice Premier, He Lifeng, for a ceremony to mark the 10-year anniversary of the CEPAK program, there are concerns that anti-Chinese sentiment that has been building in the country could invite terrorist actions. The suspected suicide bombing in Bajaur that caused so much destruction and death likely have the security forces at their highest levels of readiness. At-risk Afghans in Pakistan are likely to encounter significantly more police and military personnel on the streets during the visit of the Vice Premier and, owing to increased tensions, these forces may deal with any potential threat with extreme violence. |