January 17, 2000

New head of U.N. Afghan mission appointed
January 18, 2000
Web posted at: 8:17 AM HKT (0017 GMT)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Francesc Vendrell of Spain on Monday to be his personal representative to Afghanistan as part of an effort to boost U.N. cooperation with the war-devastated nation.

Spaniard named head of UN Afghanistan mission
07:07 p.m Jan 17, 2000 Eastern
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Spaniard Francesc Vendrell on Monday to be his personal representative and head of the U.N. Special Mission to Afghanistan, a U.N. spokesman said.

Afghanistan gets international telephone line
08:07 a.m. Jan 17, 2000 Eastern
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The ruling Taleban movement said on Monday that international telephone callers were now able to call Afghanistan using land lines after a break of about seven years.

Afghanistan Gets Direct Phone Links
The Associated Press
Monday, Jan. 17, 2000; 10:19 a.m. EST
KABUL, Afghanistan –– For the first time in seven years, war-ravaged Afghanistan has direct telephone service to several countries, the telecommunications minister said Monday.

Afghanistan gets connected
By Kate Clark in Kabul
BBC
International phone links have been established between Afghanistan and 13 other countries.
News of the international phone link reached the BBC late last night.

8 more boys, girls colleges open in Afghan University Peshawar
PESHAWAR (NNI): Eight more boys and girls colleges were opened in Peshawar-based Afghan University.

Russia wants new sanctions on Taleban over Chechnya
12:03 p.m. Jan 17, 2000 Eastern
MOSCOW, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Russia on Monday urged further U.N. sanctions against Afghanistan's ruling Taleban Islamic movement for granting diplomatic ``recognition'' to Moscow's rebel republic of Chechnya.

Afghan Taliban call on Muslim world to recognise Chechnya
KABUL, Jan 17 (AFP) -Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia Monday called on the Muslim world to join Kabul in opening diplomatic relations with the rebel government in Chechnya.

Taliban leader to visit Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Head of Taliban interim council Mulla Mohammad Rabbani will soon visit Pakistan for talks on bilateral issues, Afghan sources said Sunday.

Pakistan releases Afghan transit goods
The Taleban Deputy Commerce Minister, Fazal Mohammed Faizan, says the military leader of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has ordered the release of all Afghan transit goods impounded at the port of Karachi.

12 more check-posts to be set up along Pak-Afghan border
BUSINESS RECORDER REPORT
Published under arrangement with Pakistan Press International
PESHAWAR (January 17) : The NWFP government has identified another 12 areas to set up check-posts along Pak-Afghan border in a bid to check flow of smuggled goods into Pakistan.

Taliban deny rising crime incidents in Kabul
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan have denied rising crime incidents in the capital Kabul.

Iran to send mission to Afghanistan
Dawn
TEHRAN, Jan 16: Iran's foreign ministry is to send a team to areas in Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban militia, whose rule Tehran does not recognize, Iranian radio said on Sunday.

Pakistan's Afghan Policy
December 1999
From the BOARD of EDITORIAL ADVISORS, Ms NASIM ZEHRA makes a comprehensive study of our Afghan policy
In the coming weeks and months, on the foreign policy front, the calibre of Pakistan's national managers will be tested the most on the Afghanistan front. Standing virtually alone in its support of the Taliban government as well as its commitment