Taliban sends political signal to resistance in Panjshir Valley through Russia
August 23, 2021, 6:46 am

Taliban sends political signal to resistance in Panjshir Valley through Russia

Russian tropps with flag

The We For News reported, Taliban has asked Russia to convey to the remaining resistance forces in Panjshir Valley that it seeks a peaceful solution.

According to the We For News, the TASS News Agency reported, Moscow’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said on the YouTube channel Solovyev Live that representative of the Taliban political office paid a visit to the Russian embassy in Kabul on Saturday, asking the Russian diplomats to inform the leaders of the remaining resistance centre in Panjshir that the movement looks to dialogue and seeks a peaceful solution.

He said: “We had a representative of the Taliban’s political office at the embassy today. Knowing that Russia enjoys big prestige with various political forces in Afghanistan, he asked us to convey a political signal to Panjshir.”

The diplomat said: “They asked us that Russia will give the following message to Panjshir leaders and people: the Taliban have not made a single attempt to enter Panjshir by force until now.

The group hopes to find a peaceful solution to the situation, for example, through a political agreement. The Taliban do not want bloodshed and are committed to dialogue.”

It should be noted that the Panjshir Valley is Afghanistan’s last remaining holdout where anti-Taliban forces seem to be working on forming a guerrilla movement to take on the Islamic fundamentalist group.

A Taliban resistance is forming in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley led by Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of a famed anti-Taliban fighter, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

According to the Indian news website, Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow following a meeting with his Libyan counterpart that “the Taliban doesn’t control the whole territory of Afghanistan.”

He said, TRT World reported: “There are reports of the situation in the Panjshir Valley where the resistance of Afghanistan’s Vice President Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is concentrated.”

The Panjshir Valley northeast of Kabul is Afghanistan’s last remaining holdout, known for its natural defences.

Citing the DW, the We For News reported, the region, located 150 m northeast of the capital, Kabul, now hosts some senior members of the ousted government, like Saleh and former Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi.

Saleh has declared himself the caretaker president after ousted President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

France 24 also reported that in a photo released after Ghani fled the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Ahmad Massoud sits under the portrait of his father and namesake, the legendary Afghan resistance hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud.

By his side in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan’s northern Panjshir Valley, is Saleh.

From this pocket of resistance, the two men are calling for retaliation against the Taliban.

The Panjshir Valley has repeatedly played a decisive role in Afghanistan’s military history, as its geographical position almost completely closes it off from the rest of the country.

The only access point to the region is through a narrow passage created by the Panjshir River, which can be easily defended militarily.

According to DW, the We For News said, famed for its natural defenCes, the region tucked into the Hindu Kush mountains never fell to to the Taliban during the civil war of the 1990s, nor was it conquered by the Soviets a decade earlier, and is now Afghanistan’s last remaining holdout.

Source: wefornews

“Global” Britain and Afghanistan IS suicide bomber attacks security checkpoint in southeastern Libyan town Zalla

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.