UN Credential Committee to consider Taliban’s demand

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The United Nations Credential Committee will consider Taliban’s demand for allotment of the Afghanistan seat in the world body this month, reports VOA.

The Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdul Rehman Zahid who has been making hectic efforts to convince the UN members countries to accord recognition to the Taliban and help allot Afghanistan seat in the United Nations has said that Afghanistan’s seat has been held by foreign-based war mongering elements.

The UN Credential Committee makes decision about a country’s seat on the basis of certain standards and only those ruling the country with the support of the people can get a seat with the additional qualification of complying with the UN Charter.

However, UN Secretary General’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Fransesc Vendrell has said that the Credential Committee is a technical committee and its decisions are made on political basis.

Taliban have succeeded in capturing 90 percent territory in war-ravaged Afghanistan but they have yet to score victory in diplomatic front. They seem to have failed in convincing the UN that they respect human rights and social liberties of the Afghan people.

The Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister told the journalists that his delegation had come to New York to try for regaining Afghanistan UN seat for the Afghan people.

He said they want to know as to how the UN can give the seat to a government, which has no existence and its President has no postal address.

Afghanistan fulfills the conditions required for a government to be recognized. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan deserves to be allotted the Afghan seat in the United Nations. Now it is up to the UN member states as to whether or not they fulfill their obligations. Zahid said.

He said that Taliban fulfill the qualifications required for a government as they have restored peace and security in 95 percent territory of Afghanistan. "But we are at a loss to understand as to why recognition is not accorded to Afghanistan. We have done a lot with regard to terrorism and narcotics. There is complete ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. Moreover we have taken various steps in connection with terrorism."

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Afghanistan to figure prominently in Putin’s talks in India

MOSCOW (NNI): The Afghan conflict will figure prominently in the agenda of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit this week to India.

The Taliban's conquest of almost 95 per cent territory in war-torn Afghanistan is likely to grab a lot of attention during Putin's talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, sources said here on Sunday.

Sergei Ivanov, secretary to Russia's security council and one of the Russian president's closest advisers on foreign, defence and security-related affairs, said the implications of the dangerous situation emerging in Afghanistan would be discussed during Putin's visit.

There have been suggestions to form an Indo-Russian joint working group on the lines of the Russian-American joint working committee constituted some time back to combat international terrorism.

On the eve of his visit, Putin also told Russian journalists that Moscow would take an active part in resolving the conflict in Afghanistan, where fresh territorial gains by the Taliban have aroused concern in the Russian government.

Putin expressed concern over Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance losing more and more territory to Taliban who are fast approaching the southern borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), of which Russia is a part.

He reiterated the theme in an interview with India's state-run Doordarshan television channel and its Russian counterpart, saying the Afghan conflict could spill over into Central Asia and create a "most negative impact" on Russia.

Alexander Lousikov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, who is looking after his country's ties with Asian countries, was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying there was an urgent need to form an Indo-Russian joint working group for fighting terrorism. "It would be useful to set up a Russian-Indian joint group to combat terrorism, particularly with regard to Afghanistan," said Lousikiov.

"The centre of international terrorism has obviously shifted to Afghanistan," said Lousikov, adding that contacts with India indicated a "readiness to jointly react to the challenges coming from Afghanistan."