5 killed, 2 injured in Afghanistan last week

 KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, seven countries affirmed their commitment to engaging with Afghanistan, and a delegation reported initial findings from a probe into shootings and explosions affecting Afghans in Iran.

Additionally, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan signed a cooperation roadmap. Australia announced $1.3 million in aid to Afghanistan.

Key events from last week

• In Iran, shootings and explosions resulted in two deaths, and 34 eyewitnesses -- some of them injured--were repatriated to Afghanistan.
• The UN called on Iran and Pakistan not to forcibly expel Afghan refugees.
• Afghanistan and Kazakhstan signed a cooperation roadmap.
• The private sectors of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan signed contracts worth $100 million.
• A cement project contract worth $163 million was signed with a Turkish company in Jawzjan.
• Iran started flights to Afghanistan, and Qatar signed an agreement with Afghanistan on direct flights.
• Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan pledged engagement with Afghanistan.
• Maulvi Abdul Kabirsaid political relations with Tajikistan were improving.
• Australia announced $1.3 million in aid to Afghanistan.

Casualties:

Last week, five people were killed and two injured in various incidents in Afghanistan.

Reports indicate that an unexploded shell blast in Ghazni killed two children and injured a third. In the same province, one individual was killed due to personal enmity.

Local officials said that a young girl was killed in Badghis. Unidentified gunmen killed a man in Faryab, wounding his nine-year-old son.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures.

In the previous week, seven people had been killed and 14 others injured.

Before the regime change in 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security forces would be killed and maimed every week.

Probe team’s findigns

On October 16, Iran-based human rights organisation Haalvash claomed that Iranian border forces had killed a large number of Afghan refugees. It citted two eyewitnesses putting the number of the dead at 260.

Following the report, the caretaker government appointed a delegation to investigate the matter.

Maulvi Hamidullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Islamice Emirate of Afghanistan, wrote on his X: “Initial evidence suggests that explosions and shootings occurred against our citizens in the Kalgān Valley of Iran, with two bodies and 34 eyewitnesses—some of whom are injured—transferred by the delegation.”

He said a full investigation had not been completed yet, and the delegation was still working. Further details will be released upon completion of the investigations.

Afghans refguees in Iran and Pakistan

Millions of Afghan refugees are residing in Iran and Pakistan, many without documents. Afghan refugees are being forcibly expelled from both countries. There are also reports that sometimes document-holding refugees are also forcibly repatriated.

Last week, the head of the UN refugee agency in Afghanistan, Arfat Jamal, urged Pakistan and Iran to cease the forcible expulsion of Afghans and to treat them kindly.

Additionally, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the acting minister of refugees and reptration, called on the neighbouring countries to refrain from using force against Afghan migrants.

He also said asked the Afghans abroad to live according to immigration laws and not ito nterfere in the internal affairs of host countries.

Cooperation roadmap

Last week, ZabihullahMujahid, chief spokesman for IEA, said a government delegation had signed a cooperation roadmap with Kazakhstan.

The cooperation roadmap covers trade, industry, mining, electricity, logistics, agriculture, telecommunications, health, higher education and humanitarian assistance.

Additionally, contracts worth $100 million were signed in various sectors between the private sectors of both countries, the spokesman informed.

Cement, power project

Last week, a 30-year contract worth $163 million for a cement project in the YatimTaq area of Jawzjan province was signed with a 77 Turkish company.

The head of the company, Suleiman Jiliou, expressed interest in investing in a 200 migawatt wind energy project in Herat during a meeting with Minister of Energy and Water Mullah Abdul LatifMansoor.

Investors from Russia, Bahrain, India, and Uzbekistan evinced an interest in investing in electricity production, coal, copper, lead, aviation security, training of professional personnel and health sectors of Afghanistan.

IEAAmbassador in Beijing Maulvi Bilal Karimi opened a cargo train service between Afghanistan and China. A train carrying 50 containers of electric equipment, cloth and other goods headed from China to Afghanistan.

Direct flights

Last week, Iran Air began flights to Afghanistan. Moreover, an agreement for direct flights between Afghanistan and Qatar was inked.

Engagement with Afghanistan stressed

Last week, Afghan Ambassador to Malaysia NaqeebullahAhmadi discussed bilateral economic and political relations and the expansion of engagement with his counterparts from Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. He emphasized on global engagement with Afghanistan.

Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir said in a meeting last week that political relations with Tajikistan were improving and interaction between the two sides had increased.

Aid continuation

Last week, Australia announced an additional $1.3 million in aid to Afghanistan, and UNICEF provided health and non-health equipment to the Nangarhar Public Health Department.

sa/mud