[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- NEXT FLASHPOINT FOR PAKISTAN COULD BE 15 MAY – After ousted Prime Minister, Imran Khan was released from the Islamabad High Court on Friday, he announced that he had received protective status until 15 May. The bench went on to grant protection from arrest until 17 May for any cases that had been/would be lodged against him after 9 May. Some sporadic clashes between PTI protestors and police were reported on Friday but the majority of the chaos had subsided. Police units in Karachi and Punjab carried out arrests on Friday night of those who were said to have been responsible for some of the buildings being set on fire over the last three days. The PTI says that over 40 people were killed while the government’s official death toll stands at 12. The military forces are still deployed in Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is believed they will remain on the streets until the middle of next week when Khan faces his next legal test.
- AFGHAN WOMEN’S PROTESTS ALLIANCE ACCUSE UN OF COMPLICITY WITH THE TALIBAN – The group released a statement on Friday that called for a stronger stance in dealings with the Taliban. The group went on to accuse the UN of acceding to the Taliban’s demands and setting a precedence that runs counter to its own published values. Previously, the Alliance has called for a suspension of all UN activities until the restrictions on women were lifted by the Taliban.
- HUNDREDS OF AFGHANS RETURN FROM PAKISTAN – Over 800 Afghans reportedly passed through the Spin Boldak crossing this past week. Most said they were fleeing the situation in Pakistan and some complained that Pakistanis had threatened and harassed them when the protests broke out. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation made calls to the international community to help support those who had returned.
- HAQQANI CRITICIZED IN KANDAHAR FOR RECENT COMMENTS – A source familiar with the situation in Kandahar says the Supreme Leader’s counselors were livid after the Minister of the Interior’s remarks at a ceremony making the death of Mullah Omar Mujahid on Thursday. A closed-door meeting reputedly took place (the Supreme Leader was not present at the meeting) where strategies to ‘contain’ the Minister were discussed. The source could not speculate on what (if any) decisions were taken by the group but stressed that the level of animosity towards the Minister is extremely high and that he is being accused of derailing the Supreme Leaders’ national plan.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN PROTESTS: QUIET REIGNS FOR THE MOMENT – While some of the PTI protestors who had traveled to Islamabad to support the former PM have been witnessed leaving the city, several large camps remain. Sources in Islamabad say they have been ordered to stay by the acting PTI party leadership until next week when the former PM is expected to be arraigned in court and could face another arrest. Several thousand PTI party members/leaders remain in custody and there are concerns among the security forces that protestors may try to storm the jails and prisons to try and free them. While we welcome the calm, at-risk Afghans are encouraged to remain vigilant and be ready to seek immediate shelter should tensions flare up over the weekend. |