Press selection list for Afghan newspapers 31 Jan 07.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Newspapers published in Kabul

Arman-e Melli (Independent daily)

31 January

1. Editorial entitled "Talks should be held with Pakistani authorities to free Afghan pilgrims" says of the total 1,000 Afghan pilgrims who went to Saudi Arabia with fake Pakistani passports, 183 of them were arrested by the Pakistan civil intelligence agency upon their arrival from Mecca. It says Afghan refugees have always gone to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage with Pakistani identity cards. It says it was the right of the refugees to go to a third country. (p1, 350 words in Pashto, NPP)

2. Report by Shah Mahmood Haroon entitled "Ariana Afghan Airlines and passengers' distrust" says Ariana Afghan Airlines is the oldest air transport agency in Afghanistan with experience of more than 50 years but now faces numerous problems such as lack of professional technicians and advanced facilities and there is large-scale corruption. It says in 2005, the government set up a commission to assess ways to improve this carrier including employing foreign aviation advisers. It gave details of the airline including the recent restriction imposed on it by European countries' safety concerns. (p3, 1000 words in Dari, NPP)

Hewad (State-run daily)

31 January

1. Editorial entitled "The armed dissidents! Join the peace process" says President Hamed Karzai, at the ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain in Kabul, once again called on the armed dissidents to join the peace process. It says the only one who benefits from the killing, war and chaos in Afghanistan is the arch enemy of Afghanistan. It says the government, especially the national reconciliation commission should do more to attract armed dissidents to join the peace process (p1, 250 words in Pashto, PROCESSING)

2. Article by Jawid entitled "Different angles of fighting terrorism" says that terrorism still poses a serious threat to the stability in Afghanistan and the only solution is to fight it with full strength. It says some analysts believe other ways of fighting terrorism should be …