January 2, 1999

Taliban minister says Osama bin Laden is broke
Sat 02 Jan 99 - 11:50 GMT
KABUL, Jan 2 (AFP) - A Taliban minister said Saturday that Osama bin Laden, the Saudi dissident wanted by the United States for alleged terrorism, did not possess capital to launch any projects in Afghanistan.

Afghan Shiite Muslims in Hard Times

By Amir Shah
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, January 2, 1999; 5:51 a.m. EST

KAL KHUSHAL, Afghanistan -- Ali Jan, a farmer in Afghanistan's impoverished Hazarajat region, feeds his 13-member family tea and bread for breakfast. Dinner is usually potatoes in grease. Lunch is a luxury they cannot afford.

Shamshad leaves for Tehran Thursday
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed is leaving for Tehran on Thursday (today) on a two days visit to Iran for talks on Afghanistan, officials said.

UNICEF says Taliban violated accord on girl students
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has released statistics indicating that the ratio of school going children in Afghanistan was decreasing, which it said, was violation of its accord with the Taliban in this regard.

Developments in Afghanistan not to affect Pak-Iran ties: Shamshad
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed Thursday said developments in Afghanistan would not affect the friendly ties between Pakistan and Iran.