Naseer A. Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghan mission to the UN, in press release said that he has submitted an amicus brief to a US District Court in New York calling on the court to preserve Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves solely for the benefit of Afghan people.
Faiq added that the real owner of the money is the Afghan people, and that the Afghan money should not be given as compensation to the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
“The victims of 9/11 are owed justice and rightful compensation, but the Afghan people should not be the ones paying the price. These funds remain the property of the Afghan people, who are its rightful owners. No Afghan was involved in the 9/11 attacks, and they do not bear any legal or moral responsibilities for them.” The press release reads.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate says that Afghan money should be fully released and made available to the Afghan people.
“Afghanistan’s money must be released without any kind of condition and should be given to Afghanistan because this money is the basic right of the Afghan people and in the current situation we need it more than any other time,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
With the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, seven billion dollars of Afghan assets were frozen by the United States, which provoked domestic and international reactions.
“If this money is given to the United States, Afghan currency will lose its value against the dollar, and this will do serious damage to the Afghan economy,” said Ahmad Munib Rasa, a political analyst.
In February 2022, Joe Biden’s administration in a decree allocated $3.5 billion out of $7 billion in frozen Afghan money to be donated to the Afghan people through humanitarian aid.
US officials have previously said that a decision on another $ 3.5 billion will be made by a court in the United States.
Meanwhile, dozens of Afghan men and women on Monday launched demonstrations to express their anger over a decision made by the US to preserve billions of frozen assets for the victims of September 11 attacks.
In Kabul, a group of Afghan women held a gathering near the United Nations office in Kabul and urged the United States court to reject any decision over Afghanistan’s assets.
The protestors called for the return of the assets to Afghanistan.
“This money is Afghans’ money, not money to pay as compensation by Joe Biden. The money should be surrendered to Afghanistan,” said Arzo, a protestor.
“Our people are struggling with poverty and this money can change the situation inside Afghanistan,” said Shogofa Nejta, a protestor.
At the same time, several Afghan teachers at Shaikh Zayed University in Khost province today launched a demonstration in reaction to Biden’s decision, calling it unfair.
“This is a cruelty, they do not have the right to hold Afghanistan’s money as compensation,” said Rabani Wahdat, a teacher.
In the center of Afghanistan, residents of Bamyan province took to the streets to urge the release of Afghanistan Central Bank’s assets held in the US and other countries.—Tolonews
