KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, representatives of different countries visited Afghanistan and the European Union (EU) announced 17 million euros in assistance for returnees.
Some countries and international organisations once again asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to lift the ban on girls’ education.
Last week’s major events
- Foreign teams visit Afghanistan.
- IEA acknowledged widely: Mujahid
- Calls for resumption of girls’ education
- Girls’ education internal issue: Haqqani
- Neighbours asked to be patient on refugees’ repatriation
- Deportations to harm Pak-Afghan ties: KP govt
- Pakistan extends refugees’ stay for three months
- EU announces 17 million euros in aid for returnees
Casualties
Last week, seven people were killed and seven others injured in different violent incidents in Afghanistan.
One person was killed and three others were injured in a bomb blast in Kabul’s third Police District last week, the police headquarters said.
Three children were killed and two others injured in an old rocket shell blast in Kandahar province, while two people were wounded in a grenade explosion in Nangarhar
According to reports, unknown armed men killed two people in Laghman and Badghis provinces. In Faryab, a doctor was stabbed to death.
Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures.
Five people had been killed and as many others injured in different parts of the country in separate incidents in the previous week.
Before the regime change in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, hundreds of civilians and members of warring parties were killed and injured every week.
Foreign delegation’s visits
Last week, diplomatic delegations from different countries and institutions visited Afghanistan and met government officials. In addition, some ambassadors stationed in Kabul also met Afghan officials.
The foreign delegations included the Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC), Russia, Malaysia, Kirghizstan, and Turkmenistan.
Diplomats and representatives from the EU also had held meetings with Afghan officials.
Chinese and Azerbaijan ambassadors as well as the Iranian special envoy held meetings with Afghan officials in Kabul.
Acting Transport Minister Hameedullah Akhundzada headed a delegation to Uzbekistan, where they participated in a gathering in Termiz city.
Mujahid said recent visits of foreign delegations and ambassadors showed IEA was widely acknowledged, relationships had been established and visits had been taking place.
Political Affairs Expert Mohammad Edress Stanikzai told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Definitely it can be counted in the achievements of the IEA government, during his period the establishment of a relationship with neighbours and the opening of political missions in foreign countries are the achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
He stressed problems, political tensions and internal issues would also be addressed because the government was responsible for the establishment of relationships with foreigners and neighbours.
Deportations from Pakistan continue
According to reports the second phase of Afghan refugees’ deportation from Pakistan started on April 15. Nearly 800,000 Afghans will be repatriated during this phase.
However, the government of Pakistan extended the validity of Proof of Registration (POR) cards for Afghan refugees from April 1 to June 30 this year.
Chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a meeting of the federal cabinet was informed POR card-holders would be sent back to their homeland in the third phase of repatriating illegal aliens.
Despite growing calls for a halt to deportations of Afghans, the first phase of repatriating the foreign residents without identity documents from Pakistan is currently in progress.
According to UNHCR, three million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan currently, including1.3 million POR cardholders while 900,000 have Afghan Citizen Cards. The rest are undocumented.
Additionally, Iran has also started deporting Afghan refugees.
Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir has asked neighbouring countries to exercise tolerance and patience on the issue of deporting Afghan refugees.
He issued the call at a meeting with Iranian Special Representative and Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi here on Friday.
Acting Public Health Minister Dr. Qalandar Ebad sought more cooperation to deal with the healthcare issues of returnees. He said the government was prepared to address related to the returnees’ health.
During a meeting with UNHCR chief Leonard Zulu and the delegation accompanying him, Dr. Ebad said the government prepared to deal with the situation and urged greater cooperation from the refugee agency.
Deputy Governor of Nangarhar Maulvi Sayed Ahmad Banuri said all departments concerned were prepared to welcome Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan in the second phase of repatriation.
Muhammad Ali Saif, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman, said expelling Afghans living legally in Pakistan would harm relations between the two countries.
He said the Afghan refugees who had legal documents and lived in Pakistan based on these documents, should not be harassed or deported.
Girls’ education, human rights
As convener of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for gender equality, UN Women called on all stakeholders to provide platforms where girls could design, develop and implement technology-driven solutions.
An OIC delegation, headed by its Special Representative for Afghanistan Dr. Tariq Ali Bakheet, met Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir last week.
OIC says it has no hidden agenda in Afghanistan but wants to cooperate with Afghans and pave the way for interaction between Kabul and the international community.
Dr. Tariq Ali Bakheet also called for lifting restrictions on girls’ education and work while hailing achievements of Afghan women in the economic sector.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that women must be central to any discussion between her country and the interim government.
Greenfield expressed concern over what she called the erasure of 20 years of human rights achievements, particularly women’s rights, in Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the caretaker government spokesman, told TOLOnews that women’s rights in Afghanistan were currently more secure now than ever before.
He said, “Our sisters will attain their rights granted to them by Islam. We are confident that over time, all remaining issues will be resolved. Currently, Afghan women live in safety, protection and dignity.”
Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who met a delegation of Afghan scholars and culturists living in in Europe; said IEA did not like dictation from others on the inclusivity of the government as it was against Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
“The issue of education belongs to Afghans and the IEA will address it”, Haqqani said, adding: “This issue belongs to our children, no one has more sympathy with our children than us.”
Continuation of humanitarian aid
The European Union contributed €17 million to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support Afghans on the move and vulnerable Afghans in the region.
Continuing its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan delivered 160 tonnes of food items to the authorities at a ceremony in northern Balkh province.
nh/sa/mud
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