5 killed, 1 injured in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting interior minister and other security officials last week called on the Islamic Emirate’s leadership and the US revoked bounties on key IEA officials, including Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani and various international organizations expressed concern over the continued suspension of girls’ education beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan.

Key events last week:

Security officials including interior minister meet IEA leadership

US drops bounties on key IEA leaders

IEA: US decision a political achievement

IEA launches consular services in Norway

Iran FM: IEA consolidates power across Afghanistan

Araghchi statements correct understanding of Afghanistanrealities

Iran: Afghan refugees to be gradually and respectfullyrepatriated

Continued ban on girls education concerns international organizations

Torkham gate reopens to all types of traffic

AI: Afghan refugees being detained and tortured in Pakistan

Casualties

Five people were killed and a sixth was injured in various incidents in Afghanistan last week.

Last week, Parwan Police Headquarters said a four-member group of robbers disguised as security men was eliminated during a clash with police in Sayed Kheldistrict.

Similarly, unidentified gunmen shot and killed a person in Takhar last week.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News as some incidents might have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures,

in the previous week, two people had  been killed and 18 others injured in various incidents in Afghanistan.

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

Security meeting

Acting defense and interior ministers and the Director General of Intelligence presented a report on the security situation in the country to the Islamic Emirate leadership during a meeting in Kandahar province.

IEA chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote on X-page that proposals of the security institutions were heard and necessary instructions were given to them in terms of performance and work efficiency and important decisions were taken to organize, equip and increase the capacity of these institutions.

This comes amid claims that acting Minister of InteriorKhalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani had resigned, but MoIspokesman Mufti Abdul Matin Qani denied the claims.

Some sources had also said that Haqqani had not even been to the Ministry of Interior for some time.

International Relations

Last week, an American delegation visited Kabul and after that, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had released an American prisoner in a humanitarian move mediated by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The Islamic Emirate called the visit of the American delegation a positive development and success of its foreign policy.

Following the trip, the US State Department revoked $10 million bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani and $5 million on two other Islamic Emirate figures (Abdul Aziz Haqqaniand Yahya Haqqani).

Similarly, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last week announced the cancellation of the $10 million bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the cancellation of the bounties a progress in the foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate, saying: “We had progress afew days ago. For example, we established relations with a country, some leaders were removed from the bounties lists. This is progress in itself and these developments are continuing; this has its impact on the regional level, it has its impact on the international level, and it introduces the Emirate as a responsible party, an accepted party.”

Ministry of Interior spokesman Abdul Matin Qane said the removal of bounties resulted from the Afghan government’s continued diplomatic efforts.

“This is a good step and it shows our new engagement with the world, especially with the United States; the American delegation said that they want to have positive interactions with us and expand the atmosphere of trust.”

This comes as Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said it was resuming consular services in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

According to reports, the Afghan embassy in Norway issued a statement saying that the embassy was being closed at the request of the host country’s Foreign Ministry.

Iran FM statement

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has consolidated its power across the country in the past three years, the Iranian foreign minister has said.

In an interview with Khabar Online, Sayed Abbas Araghchi said, different corners of Afghanistan were under the control of different factions in the past, but the current situation was different. Sovereignty and security were in place, he acknowledged.

Araghchi clarified: “It is a reality that a power is ruling Afghanistan, unlike in the past when every corner of Afghanistan was under the control of a party. This is not the case now and the IEA has consolidated security.”

The Islamic Emirate welcomed his statement as essentially correct understanding of the current realities of Afghanistan.

Girls’ Education and Concerns

Last week, some international organizations expressed concern over the continued suspension of girls’ education above the sixth grade in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement said it was saddened by the fact that it has been four years since girls’ education above the sixth grade has been suspended.

UNAMA head Rosa Otunbayeva said the suspension of girls’ education reduced possibilities of Afghanistan’s reconstruction and must be lifted.

Similarly, UN Women also called the deprivation of girls from education and training in Afghanistan an injustice, adding that this practice will affect future generations.

Amnesty International also called the continuation of the ban on girls’ education above the sixth grade a violation of girls’ fundamental rights and called on the Islamic Emirate to allow all girls to study, regardless of age.

The statement said that, according to UNICEF, 2.2 million Afghan girls have been affected by the delay in girls’ education, and 400,000 will be affected this year alone.

Afghan officials have not yet commented in this regard, but they have previously said that girls’ schools and universities above the sixth grade will be opened once the right conditions are in place.

Opening of Torkham Gate, Afghan Refugees and SadiqKhan’s arrival in Kabul

Last week, the Torkham Gate, which had been closed by the Pakistani side for about a month in response to the construction of military facilities by Afghan border forces at the zero point, was reopened to all types of traffic.

After this, a delegation led by Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, arrived in Kabul and held talks with officials of the Islamic Emirate.

Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a meeting with Mohammad SadiqKhan that obstacles in the transit and trade sectors were not in the interest of any side and it was important that the issues were not linked to each other.

He also said that Afghan refugees living in Pakistan should gradually return to their homeland in a dignified manner instead of being forcibly deported.

This comes at a time when Amnesty International has said that Afghan refugees are being detained and tortured in Pakistan. The organization has called on Pakistan to cancel the plan to forcibly deport Afghan refugees.

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