In this bulletin:

• Eight Afghan soldiers killed in two blasts
• Western Afghan City Calm Following Sectarian Clashes
• Two Nepalis kidnapped in Afghanistan
• Two Nepolese kidnapped in Kabul safe: official
• Ashura observed across Afghanistan
• Sweden to get charge of PRT in northern provinces
• Improvements in Afghanistan’s security critical to development efforts
• Rumsfeld Says NATO Expansion in Afghanistan Does Not Mean US Withdrawal
• Spanish troops to stay in Afghanistan
• A 'half full' Afghan army
• Musharraf confirms 'al-Qaeda' hit
• Dirty money from Afghanistan keeps feeding terrorists
• Fruit Exports Earn Millions for Afghanistan
• Export of nine items to Kabul declines
• Ghazni joins the TOLO TV and ARMAN FM family
• Extra troops deployed in bomb-hit Pakistani town
  

Eight Afghan soldiers killed in two blasts – Reuters 02/10/2006

ASADABAD - Roadside bombs killed eight Afghan soldiers on Friday, a provincial governor said, in the latest incidents of violence as NATO members prepare to expand an Afghan peacekeeping force.

Seven soldiers were wounded in two separate blasts in Kunar province, which is on the border with Pakistan, said the province's governor, Assadullah Wafa. "The soldiers were going in convoys when the enemies of Afghanistan set off bombs planted on the roads," Wafa told Reuters.

Six soldiers were killed in one of the blasts and two were killed in the other, he said. He did not elaborate on who he thought was responsible but Taliban and allied militants are known to operate in the province. U.S. forces mounted a major sweep to clear insurgents from Kunar last year and 16 U.S. troops were killed there in June when their helicopter was shot down.

A U.S. missile strike on a Pakistani village opposite Kunar last month killed at least 18 civilians, and possibly several suspected al Qaeda members, though no bodies have been found.

In a separate incident, four Canadian soldiers were slightly wounded when a roadside bomb hit their armored vehicle in the southern Kandahar province on Thursday evening, a spokesman for Canadian troops said. A Taliban commander claimed responsibility.

Afghanistan has seen a surge of bomb attacks in recent months, including numerous suicide blasts. Violence has also erupted over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad published in European newspapers, with 10 people killed in clashes when angry protesters tried to storm foreign military bases and clashed with police.

Trouble also erupted between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims at a religious procession in the western city of Herat on Thursday and at least five people were killed and scores wounded in fighting between members of the different sects.

Herat governor Sayed Hussein Anwari said the violence was provoked by a small group "trying to make mischief." The city was quiet on Friday, he said. Despite the violence, NATO defense chiefs meeting in Italy on Thursday pledged to expand alliance peacekeeping in Afghanistan.

Defense ministers agreed to check security measures in place for their 9,000-strong International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, but insisted its expansion to 16,000 troops this year would go ahead as planned.

NATO plans to expand the force -- already in the north, west and the capital Kabul -- to the more volatile south and ultimately the east.

NATO would then manage all international peacekeeping in the country, allowing a larger U.S.-led force to reduce troop numbers and focus on hunting the Taliban and al Qaeda remnants seen as behind the insurgency.

Western Afghan City Calm Following Sectarian Clashes - RFE/RL 02/10/2006

HERAT - Afghan officials say security forces have restored ordered in the western city of Herat after clashes on 9 February between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims that left six people dead and more than 150 injured. Two mosques also were set ablaze in the city amid the sectarian violence.

A Defense Ministry spokesman, General Mohammad Zahir Aziz, said calm was restored to Herat overnight when hundreds of troop reinforcements were deployed across the city.

Mohammad Ismail Khan, the powerful former governor of Herat who took a cabinet post in Kabul last year, returned to Herat late on 9 February. He is heading a government delegation that is trying to calm tensions between Shi'a and Sunnis.

"We ask all people do dear Herat that, God willing, from this moment they will increase security measures for the sake of a better life and peaceful co-existence -- and stop any attempted conspiracies aimed at disrupting peace and stability in Herat," Ismail Khan said.

Herat's current governor, Sayyed Hussain Anwari, told RFE/RL that authorities are investigating evidence that suggests the violence in Herat was incited by an organized group of foreigners, possibly from Iran or Pakistan.

Two Nepalis kidnapped in Afghanistan - (Reuters) 11 February 2006

KABUL - Two Nepalis working for a foreign security company in Afghanistan were kidnapped in the capital Kabul on Saturday, security officials said.

Kidnappings of foreigners are rare in Afghanistan but both Taleban militants and criminals have abducted foreigners.

“They were walking to their office at 5:30 in the morning when they were kidnapped ... normally they drove,” said a senior police official who declined to be identified. He declined to identify their company.

The two were snatched, possibly at gunpoint, while walking in a central shopping district, said an official at an office overseeing the safety of aid workers in Afghanistan.

The Interior Ministry confirmed the kidnapping but declined to comment.

Dozens of Nepalis work for security companies in Afghanistan, many of them guarding embassies in Kabul. There are also Nepalis working with aid agencies.

An Italian woman aid worker was snatched from her car in the same part of Kabul last year, raising fears that militants were copying the tactics of Iraqi insurgents. Her kidnappers turned out to be criminals and the woman was released unharmed after about three weeks.

The leader of the gang that took her was recently sentenced to death for the earlier kidnapping and murder of an Afghan businessman. Kidnapping and other crime has increased since US and Afghan opposition forces overthrew the Taleban in 2001.

Two Nepolese kidnapped in Kabul safe: official

KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Two Nepolese hostages kidnapped Saturday morning in the Afghan capital Kabul are safe now, an Afghan security official said.

"Two Nepolese work for a U.S. private company were kidnapped this morning in the central area of Kabul. We have succeeded in contacting them and they are safe now," an official from the ANSO (Afghanistan NGO Security Office) told Xinhua under condition of anonymity.

The two Nepolese were kidnapped in Charah-i-ansari area in central Kabul. The government have sent personnel to the area to investigate the cause of the kidnapping, Interior Ministry spokesperson Stanizi said.

Last year an Italian aid worker was kidnapped on one night from her car, also in the central area of Kabul, and was finally released after negotiations between the Afghan government and the kidnappers. Enditem

Ashura observed across Afghanistan

KABUL, Feb 9 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Yawm-i-Ashura, the 10th day of Moharram, was observed with great reverence across the country. Thousands of Shia mourners mark the day with mourning and beating their chests to express grief over the martyrdom of the hero of Islam Hazrat Imam Hussain.

Grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and son of the fourth caliph Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Imam Hussain and his 72 family members and companions laid their lives but did not bow before Yazid.

The day was dawned with special prayers while the mourners recited Salam, Nauha and Marsiah in different Imambargah of the city. The main gatherings were held in the Dasht-i-Burchi, Taimani, Qala Fathullah and Karta-i-Sakhi area where hundreds of Shia mourners paid Salam and tributes to Hazrat Imam Hussain.

The main event of the day was the participation and address of President Hamid Karzai in the Chandawal mosque. In his address, the president asked for tolerance and joint struggle against the oppressors and anti-state elements.

The day was also observed in provinces. In the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the mourners gathered in the Roza-i-Mubarak and offered Salam and beaten their chests.

In Lashkargah, capital of the southern Helmand province, dozens of Shia and Sunni clerics gathered at a function to mark the day. Addressing the gathering, chief of the Helmand ulema council Haji Maulvi Ahmad condemned the publication of sacrilegious cartoons in Danish and European newspapers.

He said they did not stage protest demonstration for security reasons. "But this is the joint demand of both the Shia and Sunni clerics from the government to sever ties with Denmark," said Maulvi Ahmad.

Shia scholar Mulla Hussain Ali, in his address, highlighted the supreme sacrifice offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain and his 72 companions in Karbala on the 10th of Moharram.

Similar functions were held in Kandahar, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Takhar, Faryab, Jawzjan, Farah, Badghis, Bamyan and other provinces. According to reports, four people were killed and 50 injured in a clash between Shia and Sunnis in the western Herat province. It is pertinent to mention here that Shia-Sunni clashes are quite rare in this Central Asian country.

Strict security measures were adopted in the central capital to avoid any untoward incident. Police and military personnel were deployed at all chowks and squares and in front of foreign missions to ensure foolproof security in this fortified capital.

Sweden to get charge of PRT in northern provinces

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Feb 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The Sweden forces would get command of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in four northern provinces in the next one month.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, in charge of the Swedish-led PRT Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Johnson disclosed work was underway on construction of an ISAF base, which would be culminated in the coming month.

He said cost of the construction work had been estimated over five million US dollars. He added their forces would take charge of PRTs in Balkh, Samangan, Jawzjan and Sar-i-Pul provinces.

Colonel Tommy further said about 200 Swedish soldiers would be stationed in the new base, which was being constructed under the supervision of three Swedish and some Afghan engineers.

Referring to attacks on ISAF in the province, he said some previous incidents had intensified the need for strict security measures on part of the peacekeepers as well as the Afghan forces.

At least three Swedish soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the Shadian desert of the province. Several other attacks were also registered on foreign forces in the past few months. Ahmad Naim Qadriri

Improvements in Afghanistan’s security critical to development efforts – UN official

UN News Center - 10 February 2006 – Amid stepped-up clashes in Afghanistan, including violent protests, factional clashes and suicide attacks, a United Nations official today warned that enhanced security in the country is necessary for realizing international plans for its development.

“It could not be more clear that improvements in security are essential if the promise of the Afghanistan Compact is to be realized,” Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, told the Security Council.

The Compact, launched earlier this month at a Conference in London, received widespread international support, including pledges of new financial assistance to Afghanistan amounting to $10.5 billion. It sets out an agenda for sustained and prolonged engagement in the country with a view to consolidating democratic institutions, curbing insecurity, controlling the illegal drug trade, stimulating the economy, enforcing the law, providing basic services to the Afghan people and protecting their human rights.

Through the Compact, Mr. Guéhenno said, the Afghan Government committed itself to meeting a wide range of goals, while the international community pledged long-term support for this process.

But against this backdrop of international engagement, Afghanistan in recent weeks has seen a rising level of violence. Anti-government elements and Afghan forces have seen their fiercest fighting in recent years earlier this month in Helmand province. There, Police and Afghan National Army soldiers were ambushed by up to 200 insurgents. Their five-hour battle left three Afghan National Police Officers dead and nine wounded.

The controversy over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad widely considered to be offensive sparked demonstrations involving up to 5,000 people in Afghanistan, Mr. Guéhenno said. Although largely peaceful, they turned violent in a number of localities. Some UN staff had to be temporarily relocated as a result.

Mr. Guéhenno also reported clashes yesterday in Heart between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims which left at least five people dead. As the authorities work to calm the situation, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is closely monitoring developments.

Suicide attacks have also been reported this month, including the 2 February attack which left three Afghan National Army soldiers and five civilians dead. With UNAMA’s mandate set to expire on 24 March, Mr. Guéhenno said the Secretary-General will submit recommendations on the future role of the UN in Afghanistan by the middle of that month.

Rumsfeld Says NATO Expansion in Afghanistan Does Not Mean US Withdrawal

Voice of America By Al Pessin Taormina, Italy 09 February 2006

American Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says NATO's plan to take over security operations in southern Afghanistan, later this year, will not necessarily mean a reduction in U.S. troop strength in the country. Rumsfeld spoke to reporters on his American Air Force plane, enroute to a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Taormina, Italy.

Secretary Rumsfeld says, even though NATO will soon have responsibility for most of Afghanistan and plans to add the remaining region in the east, its troops only maintain security and build local capacity. They do not handle active counter-insurgency operations.

"Technically, that would not say they would take over everything because the counter-terrorism activity has never been, to my knowledge, discussed as a role for NATO," he said. Secretary Rumsfeld says that job is done by the American-led coalition, which includes several other NATO countries.

And, although he welcomed NATO's growing role in Afghanistan, the secretary said there are many factors that will go into any decision about American troop strength in the country. He says those factors include NATO's role, but also the development of the Afghan army and political process and the demobilization of militias.

"I wouldn't tie it to that. It's a combination of all those elements and not the one," he said. The secretary noted that U.S. forces in Afghanistan have already been reduced by one third.

As he prepared to meet with the other 25 NATO defense ministers, plus their Russian counterpart and ministers from seven NATO partner states from around the Mediterranean, Secretary Rumsfeld praised the organization's evolution in recent years. He noted that it has moved beyond its traditional defensive posture in Europe and has taken an active role elsewhere in the world.

He mentioned plans for the NATO rapid reaction force as an example. That force is to have final exercises in June and become operational in October. But U.S. officials say member nations have only contributed about 80 per cent of the force's required resources.

Secretary Rumsfeld said he would also like to see NATO get involved in global peacekeeping and helping develop military capabilities in partner nations.

"I think there are other things NATO could do. And, I suspect, if we transported ourselves out five or ten years and looked back, I think we'd find that in fact NATO will be doing some of those things, to a greater extent than they are today," he said.

Secretary Rumsfeld will spend two days at the NATO meeting in Sicily, where, he says he will also urge member states to increase their defense spending to help provide forces for the organization's new initiatives.

Spanish troops to stay in Afghanistan – 2/11/06 PakTribune

MADRID: Defense minister Jose Bono said yesterday that Spain would keep its troops in Afghanistan and will continue its participation in the reconstruction of the country, led by NATO, even if the mission is unified with that of the Operation Enduring Freedom antiterrorist struggle led by the US in the south of the country against the Taliban.

The Zapatero administration ordered the immediate withdrawal of Spanish troops from the operation in April 2004, coinciding with the withdrawal of Spanish troops in Iraq. The troops were withdrawn in June of that year.

Bono yesterday called for the "coordination of functions" in Afghanistan between the International Security Aid Force (ISAF), in which Spain participates, and Operation Enduring Freedom. He said that Spain would stand by its decision to stay out of the American antiterrorist mission. "Coordination of functions between the ISAF and Enduring Freedom would allow mutual help to benefit everyone in missions which, as I said, are different." Bono spoke on board the Spanish frigate Navarra, which is in Sicily leading a deployment of the maritime component of NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force.

Bono stressed that the Spanish administration is maintaining its intention not to rejoin Enduring Freedom, which he had already "made clear" at the most recent NATO meeting. Spain will not assume command of any mission which would unify the ISAF reconstruction mission and the American antiterrorist operation.”

He said that the current half-yearly rotation of command of the ISAF under one headquarters "is in question," and the possibility of changing this system to a joint command made up of several nations is not something "Spain is opposed to in principle."

After declaring that he had spoken with prime minister Zapatero on the phone yesterday on Spain’s position at the informal meeting of defense ministers, Bono said that Spain does not object to changing the ISAF system of command. The current proposal being considered by NATO was communicated to the Spanish government on January 26. In the letter, Gen. Raymond Hernault, president of the NATO military committee, mentioned the possibility of joining the ISAF and Enduring Freedom under a single command, which would be subdivided into the areas of security, reconstruction, combating drug trafficking, and counterterrorism.

A 'half full' Afghan army - By Scott Baldauf The Christian Science Monitor 2/10/06 - With 35,000 troops, the army is midway to its final size. Training is new focus.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Sgt. Mohammad Reza walks silently on a ridge, watching his platoon conduct a reconnaissance patrol in a gully below. His men are all recent recruits. Some are former militia fighters who have seen many battles but little professional training. Others are as green as the helmets on their head.

"They don't know about organized war, they just know about guerrilla warfare," says Sergeant Reza, himself a former militiaman from Bamian Province.

Increasingly, coalition forces are turning over some of the training to Afghan sergeants like Reza. Fresh recruits learn the basics of how to take protective measures and launch counterattacks, skills that will help them hold their positions in a fight.

How well they absorb these lesson will be crucial for Afghanistan's ability to stand on its own two feet. Now half-way toward the goal of a 70,000-man force, the Afghan National Army is reaching a crucial testing period: The US military is preparing to draw down its forces in Afghanistan, NATO forces are moving in, and security conditions along the southern border with Pakistan are worsening.

"Those who are in the military know how difficult it is to make an army self-sufficient, and the Afghan National Army has just been formed, so it will take some work," says Gen. Zaher Azimi, a Ministry of Defense spokesman. "If we are fighting alongside foreign forces, we have the capability to fight against guerrillas, but we can't do it alone."

That means that the international presence in Afghanistan will remain crucial for the foreseeable future. The growing number of ANA brigades in the volatile south will soon by joined by NATO forces who are rotating in to take over the responsibility for Afghanistan's security after the US military draws down 3,000 of its troops this spring.

US, French, British, Rumanian, and even Mongolian trainers will continue to train ANA troops at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC), just outside Kabul, and a growing number of Afghan officers will enter military exchange programs at military bases in the US and other coalition countries.

Yet four years after the Taliban's ouster, there are growing expectations that the ANA will pick up more of the slack in defending the country and providing the sort of security that allows Afghans to trust in their own government and their future.

"The fortunate thing about Afghans is that they have a feeling that our army is able to defend the country at a high level of proficiency," says Gen. Rahmatullah Raufi, the corps commander in Kandahar. "But when we talk of defending our country on our own, I confess, we can't do it ourselves. We are a poor country."

Eighty percent of the soldiers in his corps are illiterate, General Raufi says. Fifty percent of the officers are illiterate. Only 20 percent of his soldiers have a professional knowledge of how to serve in an army; the rest are former militia fighters or young recruits. "No one will tell you this, but even if the president sahib asks me, I will tell him this myself.

While the ANA appears to be on course in reaching its goal of a 70,000-man army by 2009, the army also realizes that it needs to improve the quality of its soldiers rather than merely put warm bodies out into uniform.

"Previously, there was a need to produce large numbers of soldiers, but now we focus on quality instead of quantity," says Brig. Gen. Mohammad Amin Wardak, commander of the training center in Kabul.

At first, ANA soldiers were given a brisk two-month course and then sent out to face Taliban insurgents. But now, the training at KMTC is 15 weeks long, including six weeks of basic training, and the rest in Advanced Infantry Training, where soldiers will be given specialities, from rifleman to artillery to more elite commando duty.

Upon graduation, ANA soldiers earn $70 a month, double the median monthly income nationwide. Officers earn more, depending on their rank. Sgt. Steve Bromfield, a Canadian military trainer from the 2nd Field Engineer Regiment, is just ending a six month stint guiding the live-fire exercises at KMTC.

He says the recruits he trains are eager to learn. In two weeks, he helps break some bad habits from former militia fighters like spraying gunfire instead of making every shot count. "Like everyone, if you give them bullets, they want to shoot," he laughs. "It's the same in the Canadian Army."

Up on a plateau, the first platoon of Afghan soldiers are advancing, team by team toward a target, firing their Kalashnikovs at paper targets. Down below in a dry streambed, a second platoon runs into position, and climbs up a ridge to attack the paper enemy on its flank. Behind, a reserve platoon forms a defensive circle, and prepares to respond to any enemy counterattack.

"This is the most vulnerable time for a platoon," says Sgt. Maj. Rick Dumas, a Canadian trainer, enjoying the moment. "They're getting tired, they are consolidating their forces, preparing for a counterattack."

Behind Sergeant Dumas, some overeager Afghans from the reserve platoon rush through a group of foreign trainers and journalists with their guns at the ready, before being called back by their sergeant.

While the ANA generally enjoys a good local reputation, some Afghans criticize Army leadership for packing the ranks with members of some ethnic groups, and not others.

"I don't want to call this army the Afghan National Army," said Najibullah Kabuli, a parliamentarian during an impassioned outburst in the lower house last week. "I want to call it the Army of National Rivalries. They are asking for exact numbers of Tajiks, exact numbers of Pashtuns."

ANA officials counter that ethnicity is not a criteria for selecting foot soldiers, although there is an attempt to maintain an ethnic balance among officers to reflect the country's ethnic mix.

General Raufi says ethnicity is just one of those issues that will take time to sort out in Afghanistan. "A national army should serve the people, not one ethnic group, not one person, or one province," he says. "Your army is almost 250 years old. Maybe you had those problems in your country's history too."

Musharraf confirms 'al-Qaeda' hit – BBC

Pakistan's president has confirmed that "a close relative" of al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US air strike in Pakistan last month. Pervez Musharraf also confirmed for the first time that Zawahiri had been expected to be at the house targeted by the US, a military spokesman says.

President Musharraf added that another wanted militant was among five foreigners killed in the bombing. Eighteen local people died in the raid, sparking widespread anger.

"Five foreigners were killed in the US attack," Gen Musharraf told tribal leaders in north-western Pakistan, the Associated Press news agency reports. "One of them was a close relative of Ayman al-Zawahri and the other man was wanted by the US and had a US$5 million (4.19 million euro) reward on his head." He did not name the foreigners who had died in the attack.

Shortly after the raid, unconfirmed intelligence reports said three high-ranking al-Qaeda members were among those killed in the raid on a village in the Bajaur Agency region on the border with Afghanistan.

They named Egyptian bomb expert Midhat Mursi - information on whose whereabouts carries a $5m US bounty. They also named Abdul Rehman al-Misri al-Maghribi, the son-in-law of Zawahiri and reputed head of the al-Qaeda's media operations.

The third person named was Abu Obaidah al-Misri, al-Qaeda's head of operations in Kunar province, just over the border in eastern Afghanistan. US officials have refused to comment on the attack.

When news of the attack first emerged, there were reports that Ayman al-Zawahiri had been killed. He has eluded capture since the US overthrew the Taleban in Afghanistan in 2001 - despite a $25m bounty on his head.

Osama Bin Laden's second-in-command is regarded as the ideological brains behind the al-Qaeda network. The Egyptian has also become its most visible spokesperson, issuing a number of video and audio tapes.

The raid took place in the village of Damadola in the Bajaur tribal area, about 7km (4.5 miles) from the Afghan border. Jets - or in some accounts a Predator drone - reportedly fired missiles at a particular housing compound in the village.

Reporters who reached Damadola spoke of three houses hundreds of metres apart that had been destroyed. The US has about 20,000 troops in Afghanistan, but Pakistan does not officially allow them to operate across the border.

Dirty money from Afghanistan keeps feeding terrorists – Russian DM.

TAORMINA, Italy, February 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Flows of dirty cash from Afghanistan keep feeding terrorists, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting of the Russian-NATO Council on Friday.

“Although the social and political situation in Afghanistan is far calmer than in Iraq, it is far from stable,” Ivanov said. “There have been continued terrorist attacks by extremist groups. The International Security Assistance Force has failed to put the situation under control so far. Drugs and arms smuggling are booming and ‘dirty cash flows’ keep feeding extremist and radicalism.

The reason for this is identical to that in Iraq – weakness of national bodies of power. In our opinion the further march of events in these troubled countries will largely depend on efforts to ensure regional stability in the Middle and Near East,” Ivanov said.

Fruit Exports Earn Millions for Afghanistan - Pajhwok 02/10/2006

KANDAHAR CITY - The export of both dry and fresh fruit in the year past by Kandahar has earned over US$17 million for the war-torn country, officials said on Thursday.

Director of the Provincial Chamber of Commerce Abdul Raziq Rafiq said they had exported 21,000 tons of raisin, figs, walnut and 16 tons of fresh fruit including pomegranates, grapes and melons to foreign countries.

Local traders sent these fruits to Ukraine, Bangladesh, Germany, South Korea, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Japan and Saudi Arabia via Ariana airlines company planes, he said.

He said it was a big achievement for the war-torn central Asian country, adding "the fruits could replace poppy crops if they had similar yield and market in future." Despite such market for fresh and dry fruits a number of people had still turned to growing poppy in the region because of apprehension over a low market for the fruits.

However the farmers who had got good crop and market intend to cultivate fruit instead of poppy in future. Ghulam Darwish, one of such farmers who cashed in on the good market and quality yield, said "I want to plant other saplings and grow another orchard though currently I have two gardens of grapes over three acres of land."

Another farmer Abdul Malik, while working in his grapes garden in Bagh-e-Pul, lying in 3km west of this southern city, said he was delighted with the last year's grapes produce.

Agriculture analyst Said Salih Muhammad Wijdan believes that gardening could be a good alternative for poppy and urged growers to focus on growing more fruits.
On one hand export has brought good income to country, but on the other hand people have expressed deep concern over rising fruit prices at home.

Tila Muhammad, a fruit seller, said the price of pomegranate had doubled as comparing with the last year. "I don't remember that I have sold 7 kilos of pomegranate for more than 120 afghanis but this year I sold it for more than 250 afghanis," he added.

The unexpected hike in demand for Afghan fruit in foreign markets has increased the ratio of food storage in the province. Admin of the Provincial Chambers of Commerce Faridullah Habib said they had set up fruit storages in Shurandam district of the province with the help of India. The godowns could store more than 500 tons of fresh fruit, he contended.

He said there was another similar storage in Panjwaie district that could house 44,000 tons of fruit. The government appointed a committee last year to prepare a draft to remove taxes from dry and fresh fruit exports.

Export of nine items to Kabul declines

ISLAMABAD – The Dawn, Feb 10: The export of nine major commodities mostly industrial goods — electronic, sanitary wares, steel products, paints and construction materials — to Afghanistan registered a decline during the first six months (July-Dec) of 2005-06 over the same period last year.

Official data available with Dawn showed that the export of cement, ghee, pulses, milk products and medicines grew during the period under review.

The data obtained from Customs Collectorates of Peshawar and Quetta indicated a 7.09 per cent growth in overall export to Kabul at Rs30.601 billion during the period under review as against Rs28.575 billion the same period last year.

It was believed that Indian products were penetrating in the Afghanistan market owing to their better quality and cheaper prices as compared to Pakistani goods. Moreover, the Indian officials posted in Afghanistan were also promoting their products by giving more facilitation to their exporters.

The government had changed procedures for claiming of refunds in the Trade Policy 2005-06 which were creating problems for genuine exporters to Afghanistan.

Product wise detail showed that the export of construction materials to Afghanistan declined by 19.97 per cent to Rs530.461 million during the July-Dec period as against Rs662.876 million the same period last year.

Similarly, the export of paints and varnishes to Kabul fell by 51.7 per cent to Rs433.531 million as against Rs898.648 million of last year; export of mild steel products declined by 11.6 per cent to Rs1706.147 million as against Rs1,904.919 million the same period of the last year.

The export of sanitary wares dipped by 64 per cent to Rs13.154 million during the period as against Rs36.608 million of last year; export of electronic goods declined by 86.96 per cent to Rs11.859 million as against Rs90.962 million over the same period of the last year.

Among the food group, the export of rice declined by 22.26 per cent to Rs945.471 million as against Rs1,216.229 million over the same period last year; fruits and vegetables declined by 27.73 per cent to Rs360.856 million as against Rs499.341 million the same period of the last year.

The export of sugar plunged by 54.6 per cent to Rs763.192 million during the period under review as against Rs1,682.677 million the same period last year; wheat flour/wheat by 25.59 per cent to Rs2.497 billion as against Rs3.356 billion over the same period a year ago.

The export of ghee increased by 2 per cent to Rs2.597 billion during July-Dec as against Rs2.546 billion over the same period the last year; cement by 47 per cent to Rs2.224 billion against Rs1.512 billion; medicines by 48.95 per cent to Rs383.406 million against Rs257.390 million during the same period last year.

The export of the electrical goods to Afghanistan increased by 88.4 per cent to Rs882.086 million against Rs101.920 million; grains and pulses by 1,282.2 per cent to Rs442.910 million against Rs32.043 million during the same period of the last year.

Ghazni joins the TOLO TV and ARMAN FM family

ARMAN FM and Tolo TV began their terrestrial free-to-air transmissions today in city of Ghazni, capital of Ghazni province.

The recent expansion to its broadcasting abilities will enable another 500,000 Afghans around the greater Ghazni city area to tune into the popular radio and television stations. Already TOLO TV and ARMAN are available in Kabul, Balkh, Parwan, Kapissa, Ghazni, Wardak, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Herat, Logar, Samangan, Jowzjan, Sarre Pul, Khost, Kunar and Laghman.

ARMAN FM and TOLO TV’s satellite transmissions enable a growing regional audience to view the station in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia and western India and eastern Gulf states.

Saad Mohseni, director of TOLO TV and ARMAN FM stated, “The expansion of TOLO TV and ARMAN FM in Ghazni is yet another milestone that will once again link Ghazni city – one of the Afghanistan’s most dynamic cities – to the rest of the nation.”

Mohseni said that the next step will be to commission free to air transmitters in at least 5 other major cities over the two months for both TOLO TV and ARMAN FM.

Extra troops deployed in bomb-hit Pakistani town

Peshawar (AFP) - Pakistan increased troops in a tense northwestern town where religious violence between rival Muslim groups killed at least 40 people this week, officials said.

Rival Sunni and Shiite Muslim groups perched on mountain tops surrounding the town of Hangu traded rocket fire overnight but no casualties were reported, officials said on Saturday.

Authorities said local religious leaders and elders were cooperating with official efforts to douse sectarian tensions in Hangu, a small town with a background of sectarian frictions and bloodshed.

"Hundreds of paramilitary troops have reinforced the security deployment in Hangu and areas around it to prevent sectarian clashes and restore order," said a senior interior ministry official.

A series of powerful blasts Thursday, one believed to be a suicide bombing, targeted Shiites celebrating Ashura, the holiest day in their calendar, sparking large-scale rioting.

At least 40 people died and more than 70 were wounded in the blasts and resulting mayhem, including four bus passengers and four truck drivers shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

A curfew was subsequently clamped on the town as the army took control of the area and authorities in all four provinces tightened security to ease tensions between the rest of the country's majority Sunnis and minority Shiites.

"We are negotiating with rival groups and trying to persuade them to come down from their positions on hilltops," the mayor of Hangu, Ghaniur Rehman, told AFP, by telephone.

"At the moment guns have fallen silent and we hope peace will return to the city," Rehman said. Pakistan's Sunni and Shiite communities largely coexist in peace but militants from the two sides have a history of violence that has claimed thousands of lives in the past ten years.

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