Page 10 - Afghanistan

Unicef urges Taliban to lift ban on girls' education as schools reopen

The UN children's agency on Saturday urged Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to immediately lift a lingering ban on girls' education to save the future of millions who have been deprived of their right to education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The appeal by UNICEF comes as a new school year began in Afghanistan without girls beyond sixth grade. The ban, said the agency, has deprived 400,000 more girls of their right to education, bringing the total to 2.2 million. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female secondary and higher education, with the Taliban justifying the ban saying it doesn't comply with their interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. For over three years, the rights of girls in Afghanistan have been violated," Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director, said in a statement. All girls must be allowed to return to school now. If these capable, bright young girls continue to be denied an education, then the repercussions will last for ...

In 'surprise visit', US delegation meets Afghanistan's foreign minister

The surprise visit coincides with speculation that the Trump administration 'reassessing' its approach to engaging with the Taliban

Taliban rejects Pak proposal to halt construction of 2 posts near border

Afghanistan's Taliban regime has rejected Pakistan's proposal regarding suspending the construction of two posts near the border as a result of which the Torkham border crossing will remain closed. The movement of people via the Torkham border crossing has been suspended since February 21 after Pakistani and Afghan security forces developed differences over construction activities on both sides of the border. The Afghan Jirga (tribal council) members on Monday requested time until the same evening to consult their concerned authorities in Kabul about halting construction of check posts on disputed land. Afghan sources said the Taliban has rejected the Pakistani delegation's proposal to halt the construction of two posts near the border. Although the Pakistani delegation was hopeful that their recommendations would be accepted, Afghan officials dismissed the proposal as unreasonable. Afghan sources stated that the conditions presented by the Pakistan government were against the Isl

'Focus inward, not blame': India rejects Pak claim on Jaffar Express attack

Rejecting Pakistan's allegations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the world knows where the epicentre of terrorism lies, and Pakistan must stop shifting blame and take responsibility

Baloch attack: Pak points finger at Afghanistan, says 'We have evidence'

Pakistan accused India of sponsoring terrorism on Thursday without directly implicating it in the Balochistan train attack that killed 21 passengers. Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan at the weekly press briefing was asked several questions about the deadly attack on Tuesday, which led to a hostage situation lasting for more than 24 hours. Terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident, he said, adding that Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghanistan to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) for their attacks against Pakistan. We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism to justice, he said. When asked about any change of policy because India was blamed in the past

Monitoring Afghanistan situation, held talks with Taliban: India to UNSC

India told the UN Security Council that it has discussed with the Taliban regime various issues pertaining to bilateral relations and the "special" people-to-people ties has been the "foundation" of Delhi's present day engagement with the country. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Monday at the UN Security meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) that in the beginning of this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai. The two sides discussed various issues pertaining to bilateral relations as well as regional developments. The Afghan side appreciated and thanked Indian leadership for continuing to engage and support the people of Afghanistan. It was decided that India would consider engaging in development projects in the near future in addition to the ongoing humanitarian assistance programs, Harish said in the Council. The January .

Taliban claim Afghan women's rights protected as UN condemns various bans

The Taliban issued a message on International Women's Day, saying Afghan women live in security with their rights protected, even as the UN condemned ongoing employment and education bans. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment, and many public spaces. Last August, the Vice and Virtue Ministry published laws that ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home. The Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement on his official X account, without specifically mentioning International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8. He said the dignity, honour, and legal rights of women were a priority for the Islamic emirate, the term used by the Taliban to describe their government. Afghan women lived in security, both physically and psychologically, he added. In accordance with Islamic law and the culture and traditions of Afghan society, the fundamental rights of

Pakistan orders Afghan nationals to leave by March 31 or face deportation

The Pakistan government has asked Afghan nationals living in Pakistan to leave the country by March 31, ARY News reported.According to ARY News, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has asked Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave the country themselves otherwise, they will be deported from April 1,The Afghan nationals will be deported from April 1st, the ministry said in a statement.Earlier, reports of Pakistan planning to evict Afghans had emerge,d but this is the first the Interior Ministry has officially confirmed the development, ARY News reported"Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP) is being implemented since November 1, 2023. In continuation of the government's decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leadership has now decided to also repatriate ACC holders," the interior ministry said in an official handout."All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before March 31, 2025; thereafter, deportation will commence ..

Pakistan sets March 31 as deadline for Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave

The Pakistan government has set March 31 as the deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACCs) holders to leave Pakistan voluntarily as part of a plan to repatriate all illegal foreigners, according to an official document. The document, purportedly leaked to the media on Friday night, indicated that the ACC holders staying in Islamabad and Rawalpindi would be moved out and sent back to Afghanistan as part of a multiphase relocation plan for Afghan migrants, including those awaiting resettlement in third countries. The decision comes amidst deteriorating ties between Islamabad and Kabul over the issue of terrorism and it may impact over 800,000 documented Afghan refugees holding Afghan Citizen Cards and are included in the category of documented refugees, contrary to hundreds and thousands of undocumented ones. It stated that the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme (IFRP) has been implemented since November 1, 2023 and in continuation to the government's decision to repatriate all ..

US effort to retrieve weapons in Afghanistan would improve security: Pak

Pakistan said on Thursday that any effort by the US to retrieve the leftover weapons in Afghanistan would help to improve the security of the region. Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in response to a question at a weekly press briefing that the US left its weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan supported the idea that the US can try to get its weapons back. Our concern is that those weapons have been found to being used by terrorists in their operations inside Pakistan. We have flagged it. If the US can make any efforts to get those weapons back, it would be helpful for the overall regional security environment, he said. Khan also said that Pakistan's security cooperation with the US has been an ongoing process along with counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation. To a question, he said that the effort of Pakistani law enforcement agencies against terrorists, including against ISKP (Islamic State (Khorasan Province), resulted in significant successes, including t

Donald Trump thanks Pakistan during address to US Congress: Here's why

Trump announced the arrest and imminent extradition of the suspect, Sharifullah, who was involved in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing

Govt to allow ambassador-level Taliban post to counter China: Report

Najib Shaheen, a diplomat in his early 30s at the Afghan embassy in Doha, is the main contender for the ambassador-level role in New Delhi, according to officials familiar with the discussions

IS-K rising? UN warns of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at US

The UN has warned of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at the US amid growing concerns over the Afghanistan-based terror group's expanding threat

Pakistan to send registered Afghan refugees back to their country

The Pakistan government has devised a plan to move registered Afghan refugees out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and gradually repatriate them back to their country. Authorities have also been directed to implement the plan without making any public announcement, Dawn newspaper reported quoting sources. It reported that the plan was finalised in a series of meetings presided by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week. One of the meetings was also attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir, a source in the prime minister's office confirmed. Under phase I of the relocation plan, Afghan nationals having the Afghan Citizens Card (ACC) will be immediately moved out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. They will then be sent back to Afghanistan alongside illegal and undocumented refugees. ACC is an identification document issued to registered Afghan nationals by Nadra. According to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM), ACC gives temporary legal status to Afghans durin

Afghan women's group hails ICC's decision to arrest Taliban leaders

An Afghan women's group on Friday hailed a decision by the International Criminal Court to arrest Taliban leaders for their persecution of women. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade. In a statement, the Afghan Women's Movement for Justice and Awareness celebrated the ICC decision and called it a great historical achievement. We consider this achievement a symbol of the strength and will of Afghan women and believe this step will start a new chapter of accountability and justice in the country, the group said. The Taliban government has yet to comment on the court's move. Also Friday, the UN mission in Afghanistan said it was a tragedy and travesty that girls remain deprived of educatio

Taliban release 2 Americans held in Afghanistan in prisoner exchange

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking charges, officials said Tuesday. The deal came as President Joe Biden, who oversaw the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, handed power over to returning President Donald Trump. The Taliban praised the swap as a step toward the normalisation of ties between the US and Afghanistan, but that likely remains a tall order as most countries in the world still don't recognize the militants' rule. The Taliban's Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified US citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008. The family of Ryan Corbett, one American held by the Taliban, confirmed he had been released in a statement. Corbett, who had lived in Afghanistan with his family at the time of the 2021 collapse of the US-backed governmen

Taliban deputy tells leader no excuse for education bans on women, girls

A senior Taliban figure has urged the group's leader to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, saying there is no excuse for them, in a rare public rebuke of government policy. Sher Abbas Stanikzai, political deputy at the Foreign Ministry, made the remarks in a speech on Saturday in southeastern Khost province. He told an audience at a religious school ceremony there was no reason to deny education to women and girls, just as there was no justification for it in the past and there shouldn't be one at all. The government has barred females from education after sixth grade. Last September, there were reports authorities had also stopped medical training and courses for women. In Afghanistan, women and girls can only be treated by female doctors and health professionals. Authorities have yet to confirm the medical training ban. We call on the leadership again to open the doors of education," said Stanikzai in a video shared by his official account on the social platform X.

Taliban seeks India's support: Request visas for Afghan patients, students

Afghanistan urges India to resume visas for trade, education, and healthcare. Complexities include non-recognition of the Taliban, security concerns, and limited consular services

US lawmaker reintroduces bill to end Pakistan's major non-Nato ally status

Initially introduced by Biggs in January 2019, the bill has been reintroduced in every subsequent Congress but has not advanced legislatively in any attempt

In first high level engagement with Taliban, foreign secy meets Afghan FM

In the meeting, India's foreign sceretary Vikram Misri underlined India's historic friendship with the Afghan people and the strong people to people contacts between the two countries