E:\shortcut 01\1,4.pmd

THE KABUL TIMES
KABUL: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with the
Ministry of Education’s factfinding technical delega tion
matters related to overseeing
the construction projects, quality of the education, number of
the teachers and the recruit-
The report also says that authority of signing the construction of school buildings were
with provincial council of the
here in Arg yesterday, the presidential press office said in a
statement.
The technical delegation
with the end of the previous
probe’s team findings, presented their reports to the president
with the presence of the MoE’s
leading body and its international donors. At the outset, the
technical delegation presented
ment process to the president.
The fact-finding team’s report
reveals that the current mechanism is no longer enough to prevent corruption and to use the
resources transparently. The
report also states that public and
the civil society don’t have access to the information so that
to oversee the ministry’s activity.
education and in most cases, the
buildings were not completed or
even not started despite of paying huge amount of money.
Hearing the delegation’s report and hinting on crucial role
of people and civil society in
prevention of the corruption,
The president instructed the
Ministry of Education to establish a mechanism for overseeing and reporting so that the
people and civil society oversee
the quality of education, construction of schools and exact
number of the students, and in
case of any problem report it to
the relevant organs. According
to the presidential press office
statement, the president also
instructed that a list of the country’s schools which were approved by the provincial education councils should be prepared, and the contracted companies and provincial education
councils would be accountable
if in case the construction of the
school buildings were not completed or yet not started. Regarding the existence of ghost
teachers and schools in the
country, the president said that
a survey should be conducted
throughout the country so that
the exact number of the teachers to be found and the salaries
of the teachers should be paid
by the banks to help prevent
corruption. Hinting on increasing number of women in the
Ministry of Education, the president instructed the ministry’s
officials to take practical programs on hand so that based on
which the qualified individuals
be selected in leadership of the
ministry and priority should be
given to university graduates, in
particular to women. “Considering this mechanism, transparency will come in recruitment
process and justice would be
considered”, the president noted, as quoted by the presidential press office statement.
The Kabul Times
India mulls options on Pakistan talks
after air base attack: Source
NEW DELHI: India is mulling its options on whether to go
ahead with foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan scheduled for later this month after militants attacked an Indian Air
Force (IAF) base over the weekend, a government official said on
Monday.
A final decision on the talks,
scheduled f or
January 15, is
expected to be
taken after security forces have
completed their
operation at the
Pathankot air
base, near the
Pakistan border,
the source said,
requesting anonymity.
India works to disarm explosive in final stages of air base
operation
The move comes after a brazen militant attack on the
Pathankot air base, a sprawling compound that lies 25km from
the border with Pakistan, on January 2.
The attack, a rare targeting of an Indian military installation outside the disputed region of Kashmir, threatens to undermine a tentative thaw in relations with Pakistan.
A fresh gun battle commenced on January 3 and fresh firing
was reported on today (Monday). Pakistan strongly condemned
the attack.
Officials said the attack bore the hallmarks of previous suspected assaults by Pakistan-based militant groups, underscoring the fragility of recent efforts to revive bilateral talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Presstv
Saudi Arabia sees survival in
escalating tensions: Iran
Iran says the Saudi bid to sever ties with the Islamic Republic
shows Riyadh's belief that the kingdom’s survival hinges on
mounting tensions.
“It seems that Saudi Arabia considers not only its interest,
[but also] its survival in the continuation of tensions and conflicts and is trying to settle its domestic problems through blame
games,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi
Ansari said during his weekly press conference in the Iranian
capital, Tehran, on Monday.
He added that Saudi Arabia's severance of ties with the Islamic Republic is part of Riyadh's efforts to divert attention from
its domestic problems.
Jaberi Ansari said that the Islamic Republic has fulfilled its
duty to reign in public anger and is committed to securing immunity of diplomatic missions as stipulated in international conventions.
“Saudi Arabia has, however, used the issue as a pretext to
increase tensions and conflicts,” he said.
The Iranian official said that creating tensions and conflicts
is the Islamic Republic’s red line, adding that as long as Riyadh
seeks tension, there is no possibility of a change in Iran-Saudi
relations.
Jaberi Ansari said that Saudi Arabia has adopted a policy to
destabilize the region since the Al Saud regime's isolation in the
international community due to its support for the Takfri terrorist groups. “The Islamic Republic of Iran pursues a clear and
transparent policy with regard to the expansion of interaction
and cooperation with all neighbors and world countries and enjoys excellent relations with many regional governments, especially Arabic governments,” he said. Presstv
Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Hekmat Khalil Karzai, new Korean
ambassador hold courtesy meeting
KABUL: Hekmat Khalil
Karzai, deputy minister on political affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs met Chin Ki-hoon
newly appointed Korean ambassador here in his office yesterday.
Hinting on importance of Afghanistan-Korea friendship
ties, the deputy minister on political affairs beside welcoming
the new ambassador, thanked
Korea’s generous assistance in
social, political and economic
developments to Afghanistan
and in particular the country’s
Provincial Reconstruction
Team’s assistance in Parwan
province and reconstruction of
Avicenna hospital in Kabul. The
deputy minister hopped Afghan-
istan could use Korea’s economic development experiences, in particular the country’s New Village
Movement initiative.
Hekmat Khalil Karzai sought Korea’s active role and cooperation in the upcoming two crucial
meetings of Brussels and Warsaw on Afghanistan.
The newly appointed ambassador of Korea pledged to further work for the bolstering of ties
between the two countries and would seriously follow the Brussels and Warsaw meetings as well as
would share matters related to the meeting with his country’s officials. The Kabul Times
Hekmat Khalil Karzai meeting newly appointed Korean Ambassador on Jan 04, 2016
Interior, Counter Narcotics Ministers
discuss eradication of poppy fields
KABUL: Interior and
counter narcotics ministers in
working session yesterday discussed eradication of poppy
fields in the country in particular Helmand and neighboring
provinces and adopted necessary decisions.
Noorulhaq Uloomi, Minister of Interior by expressing
happiness over good coordina-
tion between MoI and MoCN
said his ministry was ready for
completely eradication of poppy cultivation in the country and
maintaining security of collecting centers of drug-addicts.
He said that eradication of
poppy cultivation would help in
reduction of drug-addicts, adding that collecting centers of
drug-addicts have changed to
recovery centers of the addicts
so that drug-addicts could go
back their homes as sound human. In the session, minister of
interior ordered that deputy
ministry of counter narcotics
and security for interior in coordination with ministry of
counter narcotics should further
coordinate their working plans
in connection with maintaining
Wahidi escapes
Wolesi Jirga’s
no-confidence
vote
Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) militants on Monday clashed with a force guarding Libya's Es Sider oil port, and
fighting continued near the
tack Es Sider once before in
October last year, setting of a
car bomb and raiding a perimeter gate. Es Sider and nearby
Ras Lanuf oil ports have been
is protected by Ibrahim al-Jathran's Petrol Facilities Guard, a
federalist armed faction. ISIS
controls the city of Sirte and has
slowly expanded its presence in
Someprovincial
governors...
From P1
tion with judicial organs, proportion between authorizations
and responsibilities of governors, participation of governors
in codification of government’s
policies and budgetary issues,
strengthening of execution in
maintaining security, signing
contracts and procurement issues and appointments, stressing on supporting the central
government through local administration.
In the meeting, the second
vice president while expressing
happiness over motivation of
governors in local administrative across the country and also
role of local organs in this regard asserted there were problems between local governments
of provinces and judicial organs
in the past, hoping that by occuring changes in supreme
court of the country coordination between local governments
and judicial organs would be
tightened. Related to giving participation to provinces in policy-making and budget-making,
the second vice president said
the issue could not mentioned
in annual budget of the government in current year due to various reasons, but decision would
be taken in coming years in this
regard.
The Kabul Times
security of the respective centers. Meanwhile, Salamat Azimi, Minister of Counter Narcotics by expressing happiness
over cooperation of MoI in various sectors asked the ministry
for continued cooperation in
complete eradication of poppy
cultivation, collecting, treatment of drug-addicts.
The Kabul Times
major export terminal, witnesses and troops said.
No official was available to
confirm the attack or details of
how close the fighting was to
the port. But ISIS tried to at-
closed for more than a year after fighting between rival factions for control of the country,
where ISIS has gained ground
in the turmoil since the 2011 fall
of Muammar Qaddafi. Es Sider
the North Africa state. Its fighters have attacked several oilfields in the south of Libya, but
it has so far not managed to control any oil installations as it
has done in Syria. Alarabiya
President Ghani
hails Afghanistan’s
...
From P1
al team that lost 2-1 to the host
at the Trivandrum International Stadium on Sunday as the
game’s Japanese referee
blamed and criticized for not
taking the two suspicious penalties for Afghanistan. Earlier
in the championship, the Afghan
defeated Bangladesh 4-0, Bhutan 3-0 and the Maldives 4-1.
The Afghans scored 16 goals and
conceded only one in their pool
matches and topped the table in
its group. Afghanistan, which
defeated Sri Lanka 5-0 to advance to the final, were expected to outplay India. The championship is held every two years.
Afghanistan had earlier won
SAFF title with overpassing India by 2 goals in 2013.
The Kabul Times
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stymied by a
still sputtering economy, is seeking to burnish his legacy and shore
up support ahead of an election in the summer.
“Challenges, challenges and still more challenges,” Abe said
in summing up the coming year in a nationally televised news
conference Monday.
Abe said he expects to make progress on sweeping reforms he
has promised, likening himself to the 18th-century “Abarenbo
Shogun,” or “Rogue General” Tokugawa Yoshimune, a national
leader renowned for his efforts to reduce waste, clean up corruption and instill samurai values of discipline and leadership.
Until July, Abe’s focus is bound to be on ensuring victory in the
election for the Upper House of parliament in July, said Michael
Cucek, an expert on Japanese politics who teaches at Tokyo’s Waseda University.
Abe’s position is strong, with backing by the coalition partner
Komeito, and the opposition has failed to regain much traction
after a resounding loss of power to Abe’s conservative Liberal Democrats in December 2012.
But local political superstition holds that every nine years a
setback in Upper House elections forces the prime minister to step
down. “Observers will be watching closely to see whether he is
able to break the jinx,” the Jiji news agency said in a commentary
Monday. AP
KABUL: Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, Abdul Razaq
Wahidi on Monday summoned
by the Wolesi Jirga and after
offering satisfactory explanations, survived the Jirga’s noconfidence vote motion.
Wolesi Jirga summoned
minister for high telecommunication rates, contracts of the
telecommunication companies,
digitalization of the TVs and
illegal appointments as well as
not appearing before meetings
of the house commissions.
The house after hearing the
answers, put ballot boxes and
asked MPs to cast their confidence and no-confidence votes.
House speaker, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said 121 votes were required to impeach the minister.
However, 104 votes were cast
against him and 71 in his support from the 184 MPs present
at today’s session. Nine votes
were invalidated.
The Kabul Times
Zambia sets presidential election
to August 2016
Zambia will hold presidential and parliamentary elections
on August 11 under a new constitution, a government spokesman has said.
President Edgar Lungu is
expected to assent to the constitutional amendments on Tuesday, ratifying the election date,
his spokesman Amos Chanda
said on Monday.
"The new constitution has
a fixed election date and that
will take effect as soon as the
president signs," Chanda told
Reuters.
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