Afghanistan will soon have a regular army, Taliban's army chief of staff Qari Fasihuddin has said. "Afghanistan would have a regular, disciplined and strong army in near future to defend and protect the country and consultations in this field continue," Xinhua news agency quoted Fasihuddin as saying.
Regarding the abduction of an Indian-origin man in Kabul, MEA has said that it is 'checking facts and getting more info.'
Following a UN appeal, France has decided to contribute 100 million euros ($118 million) for emergency humanitarian work in Afghanistan.
A total of 736 Afghans were recorded for new registration from August 1 to September 11, according to the UNHCR. The body added that it is scaling up its capacity to meet increasing requests for registration and assistance of Afghans in India.
Qatar has warned it would not take responsibility for Kabul airport without "clear" agreements with everyone involved, including the Taliban, about its operations.
Taliban has agreed to allow 400 sports in the country. However, the sports chief declined to confirm if women will be able to play any. “Please don’t ask more questions about women,” Bashir Ahmad Rustamzai told AFP.
The abducted man's family lives in Faridabad, Haryana.
The local community is following up with the concerned officials and a case has also been filed. Searches are being carried out to locate him. The Ministry of External Affairs has been notified and immediate intervention has been sought.
A 50-year-old Indian-origin man, Bansri Lal Arendeh, has reportedly been abducted from his shop in Kabul. Arendeh runs a business of pharmaceutical products and was abducted at 8 am on Monday while on his usual routine along with his staff.
The Taliban has thanked the world for pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to Afghanistan.
Aid flights from foreign countries have started to arrive in Kabul after the airport reopened. International donors have pledged over $1 billion for Afghanistan to prevent a humanitarian crisis and what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned could be "the collapse of an entire country."
The Taliban has confirmed that Pakistan's intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed met its de-facto leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. He officially became the only high-ranking foreign official to visit Kabul since the Taliban seized the Afghan capital in mid-August.
Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the Resistance Front, has posted an audio message on his Facebook page saying the resistance forces are still present in Panjshir and continue to fight Taliban forces.
NRF spokesperson Ali Nazary has said that Ahmad Massoud is safe and will soon make a statement. "My leader and brother Ahmad Massoud is safe and will be giving a message to our people very soon!" Nazary tweeted.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that any insurgency against their rule would be "hit hard."
In a Twitter message, Afghan Resistance leader Ahmad Massoud has said that he is safe.
Taliban's claim of occupying Panjshir is false. The NRF forces are present in all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight. We assure the people of Afghanistan that the struggle against the Taliban & their partners will continue until justice & freedom prevails: National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
Thousands of Taliban fighters overrun eight districts of Panjshir overnight, some witnesses said on condition of anonymity.
National Resistance Front forces have rejected the Taliban's claim that they have occupied Panjshir. The group said that the resistance forces are present at all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight.
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has said that the Taliban have pledged the safety and security of humanitarian staff and assured the UN of cooperation to ensure assistance is delivered to the people of Afghanistan.
