March 16, 1999

Taliban ban festivities to mark Afghan new year Tue 16 Mar 99 - 07:14 GMT
KABUL, March 16 (AFP) - Afghanistan's ultra puritanical Taliban militia officially banned Nawroz, the traditional Afghan New Year ceremonies, as an anti-Islamic practice, official Radio Shariat said Tuesday.

Next round of peace talks between Afghan rivals likely in April Tue 16 Mar 99 - 14:32 GMT
ISLAMABAD, March 16 (AFP) - The next round of peace talks between Afghanistan's warring factions may be held in April in Kabul at the United Nations compound, the UN Special Mission for Afghanistan (UNSMA) chief said here Tuesday.

Afghans hope for peace
By Kabul Correspondent William Reeve
BBC
Ordinary Afghans have welcomed the announcement of a power-sharing agreement after talks in Turkmenistan between the Taleban and their main opposition, the Northern Alliance.

Afghan leadership a thorn in peace talks: analysts Tue 16 Mar 99 - 08:11 GMT
KABUL, March 16 (AFP) - Paramount leadership in any future Afghan government has emerged as the major stumbling block in civil war peace talks, analysts say.
Hekmatyar pessimistic about Ashgabat peace accord ISLAMABAD (NNI): Former Afghan Prime Minister and chief of Hizb-e-Islami Engineer Gulbadin Hekmatyar Monday expressed pessimism about the Ashgabat agreement and feared that formation of any set up on ethnic bases would lead to division of Afghanistan.

Afghan peace pact a first step-U.N. facilitator
08:24 a.m. Mar 16, 1999 Eastern
By Andrew Hill
ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.N. facilitator at Afghan peace talks said on Tuesday that the Taleban and their foes had reached an ``outline agreement'' which was an important first step on the road to ending 20 years of war.
Ashgabat accord no solution to Afghan conflict: Rabbanis envoy TEHRAN (NNI): An advisor to the deposed Afghan President Rabbani has said Ashgabat agreement cannot resolve Afghan conflict as it was not a full-fledged and complete meeting, reports Radio Tehran on Monday.

Progress of Women's Rights Noted
By Calvin Woodward
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, March 16, 1999; 8:56 a.m. EST
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Women used to get arrested outside the White House for pushing for their rights. Now the feminists were welcomed in, embraced by the warm glow of the East Room, to celebrate a century of advancement

UN human rights official visits Afghanistan
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan has arrived in Kabul for talks with senior Taleban officials.

Afghans cautious over talks future
By Hasan Akhtar
Dawn
ISLAMABAD March 15: Although most Afghans, living in Pakistan, are watching with hope the encouraging initial results of the Ashkhabad talks between Taliban and its rival northern alliance, several important Afghan figures within

Voice of America
INTRO: THE DIRECTOR OF THE U-N WORLD FOOD PROGRAM IN AFGHANISTAN HAS COMPLETED A TWO-DAY VISIT TO THE AFGHAN CAPITAL. AS SARAH HORNER REPORTS THE

UN special rapporteur arrives, holds meeting with Sartaj ISLAMABAD (NNI): Kamal Hossain of the United Nations Commission of Human Rights, and as Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan arrived Monday on a six-day visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ashgabad talks
Frontier Post (Editorial)
There is bit of good news from Afghanistan. The UN-mediated talks between the Taliban and their northern adversaries led by Ahmad Shah Masood have been meeting in the Turkmen capital for some days. Despite pessimism expressed by the

Good news from Ashkabad
Dawn (Editorial)
THE agreement between the Taliban and the warring Afghan factions opposed to it at Ashkabad, the capital of Turkmenistan, is the first glimmer of hope after years of bleak frustration and fighting in Afghanistan. Although the