KABUL – The war-ravaged country marked a rare day on Saturday when Afghan soldiers and Taliban militants celebrated an unprecedented ceasefire marking the end of the Ramazan by exchanging Eid greetings, big hugs and taking selfies.
But what added to its worth is a picture, circulating on social media, showing a veil-less female along with ultra-conservative Taliban militants, who entered Kabul city following a ceasefire with the Afghan government.
The photo was taken in a country where women are normally not allowed to go outside without wearing Burqa and even beaten for not following the instructions.
The woman with green eye makeup in the photo is Farzana Wahidy, who is an award-winning Afghani documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her photographs of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Wahidy was among the females who were beaten in the street for not wearing a burqa. She had faced the incident at the age of 13.
She was the first female photographer in Afghanistan to work with the international media organisation.
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Dozens of unarmed members of the outlawed organisation entered Kabul on Saturday where they exchanged hugs with troops and made selfies. The both sides also met in Logar province, south of Kabul, and Zabul in the south and central Maidan Wardak.
The Taliban announced a rare ceasefire over the Eid holiday, which began on Friday, except against foreign forces after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced to temporarily halt war with the militants during he Eid days.
In the video and pictures circulating on social media, soldiers and Taliban terrorists can be seen, handshaking, hugging and exchanging greetings.
A Afghan-based media outlet shared a picture showing Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmark meeting with a Taliban leader in Kabul.
https://twitter.com/1TVNewsAF/status/1007931270842716161
Governors in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul said both sides had adhered to the ceasefire and that there had been no reports of violence for 24 hours.
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Historic Ceasefire
Last week, the Taliban announced ceasefire with Afghan security forces for Eid ul Fitr, the religious event that caps off Ramadan.
According to a statement issued to media, the militant group said operations against foreign forces would continue, warning that the fighters would “strongly defend” themselves if attacked.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/afghan-regime-taliban-agree-on-unprecedented-ceasefire-for-eid/
It is for the first time the Taliban had agreed to a ceasefire for Eid, since the US invasion in 2001.
The development comes days after president Ashraf Ghani announced a ceasefire with the group, garnering support from United Nations and China as well.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan announces ceasefire from the 27th of Ramadan until the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr following the historic ruling [Fatwa] of the Afghan Ulema,” Ghani said.
